Re: Bits from the WNPP: RFH tag
> > It's not much of a justification -- it basically amounts to "my way is
> > right" followed by a personal insult to anyone who disagrees.
>
> Hmm. I feel you may not have read the first two paragraphs of that, and
> have only responded to the last.
The first paragraph begins by asserting the author's arrogance, and then
states that "he" is the singular indefinite pronoun in English (and that
"he" is also the masculine personal pronoun). This basically amounts to
"my way is right", with no further referencing, reasoning or historical
context.
The second paragraph discusses the use of "she", which is a different
issue entirely.
All this author is really doing is restating the question using longer
words. And even this is done badly; the question should not only be
whether "he" can operate in a gender-neutral context, but also whether
or not there are reasonable alternatives.
b.
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