Evening star., 1934-06-19
To the Editor OF The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Commencement days being here,
thousands of men and women grad
yates are receiving gratuitous advice on
how to take the hurdles in life. With
few exceptions the last words of ad-
monition, wise or otherwise, are de-
livered by men. Why should this be
so? Is it not because custom and ira
dition TO such q marked degree still
perpetuate the ancient fallscy that the
sons Of Adam constitute the original
and only brain trust?
Not only do men unjustly deprive
women OF the opportunity on these
and other occasions to impart the wis
dom they have gathered through years
of study and experience, but these
commencement speakers, in their
man-minded fashion, usually exclude
the women graduates by the language
they use In addressing the group. Here
Is a choice illustration of what mean,
culled from a recent baccalaureste ser
mon: That we may recover (speak-
ing of the problems Of the momenD 1t
Is first necessary that we should have
certain aspirations with respect to
ourselves. These are: First, God
helping me, this day I shall be a man.
Second. this day. God helping me. !
shall be a brother. Third. God help
ing me. this day shall live as . son
Of God"
II our ,good ecclesiastical brother
recognizes these statements, he will
probably make the usual defense: "A
man." "a brother" "a son." are ge-
neric terms and include women. By
what authority do men make such
statements? I am not man. I am
q woman. am not q brother. am
q sister. I am not . son of God.
am q daughter Of God. So is every
other woman. We are not included In
anybody else. We have our own iden-
tity as human beings, and language
should conform to this fundamental
fact.
In all fairness I admit that men are
largely unconscious of their linguistic
sins. but the effects are just as bad as
though these offenses were committed
consciously. Masculine terms, repeated
through the centuries, have accu-
mulated tremendous suggestive power.
They still keep humanity bound by .
superiority complex on the part of
men and an inferiority complex on
the part of women. both Of which are
undesirable. We all recognize degrees
Of intelligence and ability In both
sexes, but on the broad basis Of op-
portunity and responsibility women
should not look up to men from q sup
posed lower level, nor should men look
down upon women from an imaginary
height. Men and women should look
at each other on the plane of abso-
Lutte equality, which is the only sure
foundation for world progress. The
present unequal status O. women In all
parts of the world Is due to the er-
roneous thinking perpetuated by each
succeeding generation, augmented by
the language fixation referred to.
I appeal to the clergy since they are
among the greatest offenders, and to
all men and women to break this age
language, nouns of recognized common
gender or other expressions such as
men and women" which indicate that
women are properly recognized. The
word men," which IL said to include
women when used In q general state
ment Is plural number. masculine
gender, nothing more. The recognized
generic term man" should be dis
carded because of its masculine demo-
tation, and o new word coined. "Hu-
manity" Is q better word. All this
may sound revolutionary, but the dead
hand of the past must not shackle the
present and the future. We must 60
forward In that sense which the far
seeing pioneers Of the woman move
ment had in mind when. back in 1S4s
at Seneca Falls, N. Y, they enunciated
their immortal declaration Of inde-
pendence: esolved. that woman Is.
mans equalHsAs intended to be 50 by