features@ihuxf.UUCP (M.A. Zeszutko) (05/02/85)
What with all the comments on gender-neutral nouns, I thought I'd throw my $.02 in here. What's wrong with using *functional titles*? You don't have to refer to fireMEN and fireWOMEN, you can call them all fireFIGHTERS. Same with policemen and policewomen...you could call them all police *officers*. After all, we don't refer to computer programesses (or is this neologism needed by those who would keep the "purity of the language"?). -- aMAZon @ AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL; ihnp4!ihuxf!features