Letters

Monday, January 11, 1999

Letters

Language police erasing ‘man’ from vocabulary, society

I recently read an article in a business journal about the
efforts of a company to regain its market share using the newest
internet technology. I remember this article because it had
something in it I hadn’t seen in a long time. The article referred
to the company’s top guy as the "chairman."

"Chairman," I thought, how refreshing to see that word again
after such a long time. Today every major journal, book or other
publication uses the word "chairperson" or simply "chair." It is
just part of the on-going campaign to erase the word "man" from the
English vocabulary.

Every word that used to contain "man" or "men" has been changed
to something more acceptable to our cultural elite. "Policeman" is
now "police officer," "fireman" is now "fire fighter," "mailman" is
now "postal worker," etc.

You see, the establishment feels

that if they can change the language we use, they can change the
way we think. And that, of course, is the goal – to change the way
you and I think. All major publications have joined in the
effort.

An article in Scientific American I read refers to a new
medicine’s benefit to "humankind." You see, the word "mankind"
can’t be used because it contains the word "man." Interestingly,
though, it may be more difficult for our language police to erase
the word "mankind" than other words they have targeted. This is
because Neil Armstrong (inadvertently, I’m sure) cemented the word
"mankind" into history with the phrase " … one giant leap for
mankind." It will be hard for the establishment to erase that
phrase from the history books (although I’m sure they will give it
their best try).

The effort to erase the word "man" has been largely successful
in most areas of our society. People are like cattle and they will
stampede in whatever direction they think the herd is running.
Today, the only place you will find the word "man" in the
vocabulary is, perhaps, at the Selective Service department – where
only "men" are slated to be drafted and sent to war to be killed.
Or you might find it within the hundreds of "affirmative action"
programs that government and industry design to specifically
discriminate against men in school admissions, hiring and
promotions.

Why have the efforts to erase the word "man" been so successful
in our country? Because American men are wimps. While other groups
fight for rights and try to increase their power in society,
American men are taught from an early age that they don’t have a
right to do the same (unless, of course, they are men "of
color").

We have accepted the establishment’s judgment on this and have
learned to live with it. Until we wake up and stop being such
suckers, the establishment will continue to succeed in these
efforts.

Jeff Burhans

Class of 1981 alumnus

Physics

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