Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site digi-g.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!digi-g!anne From: anne@digi-g.UUCP (Anne Chenette) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Women are not people?!?!?!? Message-ID: <487@digi-g.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 15:05:33 EST Article-I.D.: digi-g.487 Posted: Tue Feb 12 15:05:33 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 01:39:11 EST Distribution: net Organization: Digigraphic Systems Corp., Mpls, MN Lines: 27 (* WARNING: WRITER IS ANGRY, SO THE FOLLOWING MAY SEEM NOT UNLIKE A FLAME *) I was reading through a story in net.jokes today, and choked on the following sentence: His people spent a good 8 hours a day working in the fields, and then went home to their wives. Since when are wives not people???? Why is this attitude so common? (I remember reading in my Social Studies text books about "the pioneers and their wives" - it always made me furious.) I'm shocked to see this in 1985 - I had hoped that this sexist manipulation of English had died out in the 60's. This is not merely a linguistic matter - it is insidious, unconscious sexism. I don't know the gender of the writer, but I must assume that it was male. I don't believe a female would have this attitude in her subconscience. What can be done about this terrible, sexist attitude?? This is a more blatent version of the he/she issue. One small consolation is that solutions need not violate traditional standards of grammar :-)! Arghhhhhhhh! Anne Chenette ihnp4!umn-cs!digi-g!anne