[MR] Dante, man of many parts (was "Your Women?")

[Sean D. Sorrentino]

--- Dante di Pietro <dante_di_pietro at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Bear with me here; my profile on the scholars page
> says I love grammar, and by God, I
> really do love grammar.


so, here we were thinking that Dante was just some
fancy model from which to hang a rapier, and all this
time there was more! 

i would like to point out to those who are quick to
find sexist overtones in everyday speech that when you
suspect the words, you must necessarily suspect the
person speaking. 

words themselves have no meaning. they simply stand as
auditory code for the thoughts behind them. language
is a carrier for thought, like a wave carries not
water, but energy. if you suspect that sound, you
suspect the thought. and that thought is mine, so you
suspect me. 

if being referred to in a way that makes you feel like
a possession bothers you, then being thought of as a
sexist bothers me. i do not view women as possessions,
though i have certainly been possessed by them. 

let us take this time to educate ourselves. rather
than throw out a perfectly useful locution, let us
agree with Dante that when a man refers to a Lady as
"his Lady," he refers to the curious position of being
the man upon whom this lady chooses to bestow her
favor. if we can all agree that this is the proper
state of affairs, then we can continue to use a very
short, easily understood phrase to convey our
thoughts. failing that, we will have to violate one of
the central tenets of the English language and use 15
words to precisely discribe what 2 words would convey.


let us, by all means, choose to be both simple and
polite. 

Domenico

=====
Sean Sorrentino
Email:
sean at seansorrentino.com
check out my photos @
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/sdsorrentino


		
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