House language becomes gender neutral.
By on Jan 6th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
House language becomes gender neutral.
In its new package of rule changes, the House has finally decided to make its official language gender neutral, recognizing the growing representation of women in Congress (including as Speaker of the House). Gone are references to “he,” “chairman,” and phrases such as “his duties.” From the resolution:
Read the full list of changes here (gender neutrality language beginning on p. 9).
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I've never been entirely comfortable referring to people as pieces of furniture. That aside, thank you, Speaker Pelosi!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:43 pmThat small implosion you hear is from the reich-wingers across this country.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:44 pmI'm glad to see the 111th Congress is tackling the issues that really matter, and they are doing it on the first day of the session.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:47 pmLTdan Says:
God forbid anybody gets offended! Political correctness at its best. UGH!
Progress at its best. UGH!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:48 pmWhen Congress Critters have shit for brains, gender somehow seems inconsequential.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:49 pm937. (18)(b)(3)(J) In reference to House interns, strike "chick" and insert "intern"
937. (18)(b)(3)(K) In reference to the Speaker of the House, strike "b!tch" and insert "Speaker"
... and so on.
.
LTdan Says:
God forbid anybody gets offended! Political correctness at its best. UGH!
Yes, how dare they change the formal written rules of one of our principal Democratic institutions so that they aren't offensive...
January 6th, 2009 at 4:50 pmLadles and Jellyspoons... I come before you to stand behind you to tell you something I know nothing about...
January 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pmGod forbid anybody gets offended! Political correctness at its best. UGH!
Are you just offended at any change?
'Cause this one seems simple and sensible...
Does this screw up your draft manifesto or something?
January 6th, 2009 at 4:53 pmYou hang on to your "political correctness" boomerang, LT. Consort with your fellow Malkinites into permanent minority status.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:54 pmObama apologizes to Feinstein for his CIA surprise
1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday that President-elect Barack Obama apologized to her for not notifying her ahead of time that Leon Panetta was his pick for CIA director.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:01 pm[...]
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j9VKSxg3vlTYL9fO-cAILwUZbM-gD95HSCU01
LTdan:
January 6th, 2009 at 5:02 pmMight you make the case for why the language should not be gender neutral?
and:
Sanjay Gupta For Surgeon General? CBS News
why not!? he's already established the pulpit...
i just hope he makes masterbation ok again!
end OT.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:03 pmLanguage which includes all members of the House may be a mere formality, but it sends a needed message to those who still believe women are "less than."
January 6th, 2009 at 5:05 pmAnd despite all the women who have previously served in both Houses of Congress, it took a woman getting elected Speaker of the House twice for them to realize they should have done this a long time ago.
Now, if only we can as easily change the minds of the people who still think in male-gender terms.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pmWASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday that President-elect Barack Obama apologized to her for not notifying her ahead of time that Leon Panetta was his pick for CIA director.
It's hopefully just a confirmation ploy, but other than that the new president doesn't need to try to be liked by everyone. Why? They'll just suck him in and demand more.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:12 pmWhy do we name our boats and planes after women? I always wondered about that. Any ideas?
January 6th, 2009 at 5:21 pmJust a god darn minute! Masturbation isn't okay?
January 6th, 2009 at 5:22 pmThat's great.
Now get back to work!
January 6th, 2009 at 5:23 pmStratRat Says:
Why do we name our boats and planes after women? I always wondered about that. Any ideas?
Who knows? We may never know. In one of the early episodes of "Star Trek", Sulu asks one of his crewmates the very same question. Even three centuries from now they won't know the answer to that one. :)
January 6th, 2009 at 5:23 pmAny ideas?
(apologies aforehand)
Because sometimes they go down?
January 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pmdbadass Says:
Just a god darn minute! Masturbation isn’t okay?
Don't tell Ernest Borgnine that.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:25 pmWayne A. Schneider.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:28 pmThank you. Thank you so much. Priceless...
dbadass - i think it was jocelyn elders (?) - had to resign, after suggesting teens should be taught that masturbation helped relieve some of the pressure... horrors!
but, yea, it IS ok.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:29 pmI remember katy. I was just fooling around. I remember when my high school health teacher opened the classroom door walked into the hallway and yelled. "I masturbated last night" in an effort to actually try and teach something.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:35 pmIn an attempt to get slightly back on topic, I must say that having a whole lot of experience with boats we usually ended up referring to ours as a "stupid piece of shit" most of the time as we spent endless dollars and hours maintaining it and trying to eek out a living...
January 6th, 2009 at 5:38 pmFrom my experience with boats, they are a hole in the water to throw money into.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pmSort of like our Ship of State.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:50 pmnevar - that's a hoot, coming from you - a desert dwelling fire fighter...
January 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pmNow you know why.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:55 pm;)
Nevar,
Under Bush our Ship of State has become a dinghy.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:57 pmThen he cuts a hole in the bottom to let the water drain out.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:59 pmMy idea for making language gender neutral is to use "one" and "some". Chairone, firesome, etc...
January 6th, 2009 at 6:06 pmNevar Says:
Sort of like our Ship of State.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Everything's fine in First Class. They're the folks who call the shots, set the course, allot rations, etc...
January 6th, 2009 at 6:08 pmdbadass Says:
Just a god darn minute! Masturbation isn’t okay?
Not since Michael Hutchence, RIP.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:12 pmWhy not?
January 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pmDoesn't seem anybody had to. Seems they choose to...
January 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pmLTdan Says:
Hmm well you simply shouldnt have to change a language to appease a certain group of people.
What dbadass said. Also they didn't "change a language." And what "certain group of people" are you talking about? Broads?
January 6th, 2009 at 6:19 pmLTdan Says:
Hmm well you simply shouldnt have to change a language to appease a certain group of people.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
A "certain group?" I think 50% of the population is a rather significant group.
Just go ahead and stop with that "thinking" thing. It's really not working out for you.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:26 pmLTdan Says:
Hmm well you simply shouldnt have to change a language to appease a certain group of people.
"Change a language"? Nobody's doing that. They are simply changing the wording of the rules. They aren't introducing any new words to the language, so the language itself (that would be English, the language I presume you grew up speaking) isn't being changed.
Do you still use the same "language" to refer to black people that the framers used in their time? Go out and try it sometime. Then you can see why it is beneficial to update the wording once in a while.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:47 pmLTdan Says:
Hmm well you simply shouldnt have to change a language to appease a certain group of people.
Your syntax and grammar alone indicate you have changed the English language from it's proper form. Are you trying to appease someone?
January 6th, 2009 at 6:50 pmSir, you have every right to be offended, and we have every right not to have to listen to, or read your verbal and textual diarrhea.
January 6th, 2009 at 7:32 pmFrom an old DailyMail story:
LTdan Says:
God forbid anybody gets offended! Political correctness at its best. UGH!
January 6th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Still think changing the language now and then is a bad idea, LTdan?
January 6th, 2009 at 7:40 pmTo be fair, the use of the "generic he", i.e. the use of "he" to mean "anyone in such position", was a change instituted by eighteenth-century grammarians (someone can double-check the century for me) in order to adhere to biblical order. Previously, singular "they" was the most common gender-neutral form. So in a very real sense, it was changing the language to appease a group of people. In fact, there is a whole field devoted to the study of "language planning." People who are interested should check it out.
Also, the term political correctness is much older than 1988, and is frequently (though possibly incorrectly) attributed to the Chinese Communists. http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/7/7-879.html
January 6th, 2009 at 10:13 pmHippie_crusher Says:
____________
Sorry, "has_a_crush", but you and your fellow trolls have already burned thru TP's supply of complimentary Depends for the year, and it's only Jan 6.
Soooooooo, if you'd like a change, you'll have to pay...
January 6th, 2009 at 11:27 pmHippie_crusher.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:32 pmHave you ever met a girl with rings on her fingers and bell on her toes?
where was this "s" before...
January 6th, 2009 at 11:34 pm19(c)(4)(A) strike "make sweet, sweet love" and insert "vote for cloture..."
January 6th, 2009 at 11:53 pmSounds like someone needs a hug from his daddy.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:39 amHippie_Crusher,
You are cordially invited to engage in a session of auto-fornication.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pm