WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE?
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How long are we going to allow minorities attempt to destroy our language?
The English language is rich and broad enough to cope with just about all situations, and there is never a reason to remove words, make it sexless, or dumb it down.
We have recently been told there is a serious push to remove gender specific pronouns, and wide-ranging common-use descriptors like “guys” from our language.
There is a drive to replace male and female pronouns with the remote-sounding “they”, without any reference to tense or number (singular or plural).
There has always been a gender in the English language to classify asexual things.
It is known as neuter gender.
This being the case, why can’t people who have physical and mental conditions and don’t want to be defined as either male or female, along with all the hanger-on, loony lefties be classified as “neuts” or some other acceptable variation.
If the use of “they” in all circumstances is being suggested, wouldn’t neuter or a derivate such as “neut” be equally acceptable?
If individuals were to tell me they didn’t want to be referred to in male or female terms I would be happy to refer to them by or in whatever terms they wanted.
However, I will never ever assume that any man or woman I interact with wants to be treated in any other way than male or female.
Richard Burnett, Wollongong
WONDERFUL MEMORIES
I noticed in your obituaries last week the death of 95-year-old Les Dion.
It bought back many memories of the Dion Family Buses and the friendly service they have provided to our Northern Suburbs for so many years.
I came down to teach at Coledale from the Mid North Coast in 1960 and lived at Thirroul having just turned 20.
On Sundays I would take the bus into Wollongong to church for several journeys.
I remember it took a long time but I felt safe with the friendly elder Dion driving the bus on Sundays.
In the interim my children travelled to school on their buses sometimes on courtesy to pay next day.
One day in the 80's the driver stopped our shop and ordered 26 watches for every driver as we are always being fined for running late.
That was because elderly people or injured ones were always helped on or off the bus.
It has been my pleasure to know this family, teaching the boys running the company today.
The Dions have been, and are, respected community members and I extend my sympathy to the all the family.
Patricia Langlands, Fairy Meadow
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