[9557] in APO-L
'Brothers' All Are We
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tracy)
Sun Oct 2 20:42:44 1994
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 1994 20:41:43 EDT
Reply-To: Tracy <TAHARKZ1@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
From: Tracy <TAHARKZ1@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Brothers,
Please consider this analogy when discussing the rewording of the Toast Song:
Star Trek "Next Generation" characters refer to both male and female officers
as "Sir". They use the SAME pronoun to EQUALLY offer the same amount of
respect to both male and female officers. Distinction between gender is not
made.
Do we really want a distinction to be made? Calling both male and female
members by the term "brother" puts us all at the same EQUAL level.
The fact of the matter is that the English language is sexist in it's nature.
Until the English language is changed, we are going to have a difficult time
addressing everyone equally. I have always viewed the term "brother" to be
inclusive of both genders. I like being a brother, and I like the fun jokes
I can tell about being a brother.
I would sooner want everyone to be called a "tadpole" than make unnecessary
gender distinctions. We are not a Shaker community, we are a brotherhood.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Tracy Harkins Delta Theta University of Louisville
