Language debate

[baozun]

A great debate borrowed from the Swag Bucks daily poll:

Princeton University announced their choice to use a series of gender-neutral terms aimed at removing the word “man” and other 'male-leaning language' from official school material. Examples range from the changing of 'mankind' to 'humanity' and 'freshmen' will now be referred to as 'first-year students'. Do you think other universities should follow suit?

I respect their decision but I don't necessarily think other universities should follow suit.
One professor asked us, "What should I write? Freshmen/freshwomen, freshpeople?" The class was like, LOL, freshmen is fine.

"Welcome freshpeople!"

Alien races who are much more advanced than we are use gender-neutral language to refer to humans: "Greetings, Earthlings…”   Would you ever address a group of humans that way?  Maybe while you’re wearing an alien costume

If you have any interesting stories about gendered language, please post them.  I would like to know if word choice has ever had a real impact on someone’s life.

[NRAJOE]

PC world running amok...

[linderlizzie]

Princeton should be ashamed of themselves bowing to this sort of political correctness. Can you say " ?"

Anyway, I'm ashamed of them even if they aren't. 

[sfreeman8]

I think what they're doing is absolutely ridiculous. Whatever happened to common sense?  I heard a woman on TV argue for removing the word 'man' from all words. Tell me what they would do with "Manhattan?" Would it be "Peoplehattan?"

I think it's time parents of college kids start DEMANDING that these schools start teaching courses that will get them jobs, and stop with the stupid PC. It has gone so far that it has turned into a mental illness.

[bremer51]

Even the word "Woman" has "man" in it.  What's a girl to do?  Perhaps they are going a little overboard, but one of my favorite words is "humankind" rather than "mankind" even though it still has "man" in it.