Something wrong with system, I fear. When I click on the URL above I get a ghastly Texas story. Even when I click on the icon pic with the two cops, I get the ghastly Texas story. ABC sharpen up, please.
After the T. Rowe Price ad, there is a great article on the Castle Law, and then the one on the two cops. Both uplifting, so I don’t know what the “ghastly” story was. Perhaps they have the link fixed.
Canon Harmon, I assume you meant police [i]officers[/i]? The use of the term “policeman” for female officers is demeaning, as is the term “fireman”. Please give this woman the respect she deserves for serving her community as a police officer and use the correct title.
As one that most of the people on this blog would call a “reappraiser”, and as one who normally disagrees with just about everything that “Br. Michael” writes, I agree. Get a life. A fireman is a fireman. That would include women.
The dictionary defines it as “a member of a police force or body.”
I could use a policeman and a policewoman but I would not use your language because it is part of a broadly degendering trend of language which subtly denies our embodiedness.
The dictionary is not prescriptive, Canon Harmon — it is descriptive. The word “ain’t” is also in the dictionary.
My guess is you don’t call female teachers “teacherwoman” or female priests in the Episcopal Church “priestess”. “Policewoman” is quite a bit better than incorrectly referring to a female officer as “policeman”, but I’m not sure why it’s necessary.
Incidentally, for those commenters who apparently believe my bringing this up is absurd and an insignificant quibble, women in the police and fire services encounter rampant sexism day in and day out in many departments (and out in the public where they serve). This kind of language is only a tiny part of it, but it is symbolic of that deeper sexism. It’s a small gesture for people not to constantly make the statement (intentional or otherwise) that the normative gender for that job should be male.
Father Chris,
I know several female members of the police force (female policemen) who do not like “police woman” since it brings back images of the days when females were not “real” police officers. It is sort of like female soldiers (female members of the US Army) would not like it if you called them a “WAC” which was what people called “female members of the army who were not nurses.”
When a female became the Mayor of London, she said that she wanted to be called the LORD Mayor, not the Lady Mayor. The Lady Mayor is the Lord Mayor’s wife.
This whole “language thing” brings up an interesting item. My cousin is a priestess (female priest if you will) and she goes by the term “Mother Cynthia.” I tried to explain to her that “Mother” implies that she is the head of a female religious order. She most certainly is not, as her husband and two sons would attest!!
“woMAN” – oops
‘er “wo-perSON” – oops again
‘er “wo-perCHILD” — ahhh…
That’s it. A Policeman and Policewoperchild married.
Thank goodness we have that straight.
Something wrong with system, I fear. When I click on the URL above I get a ghastly Texas story. Even when I click on the icon pic with the two cops, I get the ghastly Texas story. ABC sharpen up, please.
TT,
After the T. Rowe Price ad, there is a great article on the Castle Law, and then the one on the two cops. Both uplifting, so I don’t know what the “ghastly” story was. Perhaps they have the link fixed.
APB
Canon Harmon, I assume you meant police [i]officers[/i]? The use of the term “policeman” for female officers is demeaning, as is the term “fireman”. Please give this woman the respect she deserves for serving her community as a police officer and use the correct title.
Fr. Chris, get a life.
As one that most of the people on this blog would call a “reappraiser”, and as one who normally disagrees with just about everything that “Br. Michael” writes, I agree. Get a life. A fireman is a fireman. That would include women.
The dictionary defines it as “a member of a police force or body.”
I could use a policeman and a policewoman but I would not use your language because it is part of a broadly degendering trend of language which subtly denies our embodiedness.
The dictionary is not prescriptive, Canon Harmon — it is descriptive. The word “ain’t” is also in the dictionary.
My guess is you don’t call female teachers “teacherwoman” or female priests in the Episcopal Church “priestess”. “Policewoman” is quite a bit better than incorrectly referring to a female officer as “policeman”, but I’m not sure why it’s necessary.
Incidentally, for those commenters who apparently believe my bringing this up is absurd and an insignificant quibble, women in the police and fire services encounter rampant sexism day in and day out in many departments (and out in the public where they serve). This kind of language is only a tiny part of it, but it is symbolic of that deeper sexism. It’s a small gesture for people not to constantly make the statement (intentional or otherwise) that the normative gender for that job should be male.
Fr. Chris, I strongly disagree with you. Calling a female policeman a policeman is not sexist in any way: it’s the English language.
Ironically, the word man makes up part of the word woman as well as the word policeman.
Father Chris,
I know several female members of the police force (female policemen) who do not like “police woman” since it brings back images of the days when females were not “real” police officers. It is sort of like female soldiers (female members of the US Army) would not like it if you called them a “WAC” which was what people called “female members of the army who were not nurses.”
When a female became the Mayor of London, she said that she wanted to be called the LORD Mayor, not the Lady Mayor. The Lady Mayor is the Lord Mayor’s wife.
This whole “language thing” brings up an interesting item. My cousin is a priestess (female priest if you will) and she goes by the term “Mother Cynthia.” I tried to explain to her that “Mother” implies that she is the head of a female religious order. She most certainly is not, as her husband and two sons would attest!!
#9 recchip –
That reminds me of how I call one of the priests at the parish where I sing Father Lisa. She laughs, but I sigh.
As a womyn, I now feel terribly demeaned that Canon Harmon has referred to her as a policewo[i]man[/i].
Really. Has Canon Harmon no shame? Has he no concern for our dignity???
“woMAN” – oops
‘er “wo-perSON” – oops again
‘er “wo-perCHILD” — ahhh…
That’s it. A Policeman and Policewoperchild married.
Thank goodness we have that straight.
Watch it, Kendall – Pepper Anderson is on your case!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Woman_(TV_series)