From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!mhtsa!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhb5c!mjs
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Title: IT
Article-I.D.: mhb5c.1004
Posted: Sat Jul 17 13:53:02 1982
Received: Sun Jul 18 01:38:34 1982
References: floyd.348

Personally, I find that those who object to the tradition of using the male
gender as non-specific react even more violently to the use of `it' and other
specifically neuter words.  After a few `it's, most folks find that they (male
or female) prefer to be refered to as non-specific males.  In fact, several
females I know are of the conviction that `guys' is also neuter!  I have no
particular preference, except that I have little interest in changing my
grammatical habits.  All through grammar, junior high, and high schools, I
was taught that use of the male pronoun was `correct' to refer to either a
mixed group or an unspecified group.  Is there anyone on the net that wasn't
taught this rule?  Ok, maybe I'm lazy.  I'm willing to abide by whatever
a true authority dictates, however.  Why is there not an American Academy --
the equivalent of the French authority on the French language?

	Marty Shannon, Jr.
	BTL MH 5E-103
	201-582-3199