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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 6212230" data-attributes="member: 32740">I would also suggest, however, that language evolves as the people and culture that use it evolve.  You don't achieve changes in gender attitudes by changing the language.  The only examples of that sort of thing I can think of are BAD examples.  Examples we don't want to emulate for good reason.  You can't force idealogical changes on people by telling them what to say and how to say it; by telling them they are bad people for using masculine pronouns by default in speech or writing (especially when the language doesn't HAVE gender neutral pronouns that are interchangeable without actually forcing changes to a more stilted sentence structure.  I mean, how much more Orwellian can you get?)  At least, I rather thought that doing so shouldn't be how you want to change people's thinking.  You want to change their thinking because your ideas are found to be better; to change because they WANT to change, not because they simply had their choice removed.  First convince the English speaking world that even using masculine pronouns in place of neutral pronouns is WRONG - THEN propose changes to the language and its usage if it doesn't develop on its own.Ever see Serenity?  Give a whole planets population the same chemical to create a less violent person, and by unintended consequences kill 99.9% of them and turn the remaining 1/10th percent into hyper-violent cannibals that plague the galaxy.  While this is not a matter of life and death the principle strikes me as precisely simliar.  You have a group who believes they can MAKE people better, make them think the way they want them to think, act the way they want them to act, not because it's right but by introducing chemicals into their atmosphere, enforcing eugenics, conducting political re-education - or starting small by simply controlling how they are publicly allowed to use pronouns.  Maybe that's why I have such a strong negative reaction to this sort of thing.</blockquote>

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