Don’ call me a journalist, honey

Victoria — When I asked Gretchen Brewin, the
NDP MLA for Victoria~-Beacon Hill whether she
was aware of the fact that from now on I would no
longer be able to address her as dear or sweet-
heart, she pointed out that I had never done so
before.

Exactly, Ms. Brewin. And that’s why I believe
the “Gender-Neutral Language” manual to be the
most asinine thing to emanate from our caring
and compassionate NDP government to date.

The 29-page booklet, distributed by the
women’s equality ministry to all government
departments, purports to point the way to fairer
treatment of women by way of eliminating from
all government communications any and all
discriminatory, biased, stereotypical or otherwise
belittling references to women.

According to said manual, it’s not acceptable to
call a woman chick, broad, tomato or bimbo.
Actually, I thought it never was.

Terms of endearment such as honey, dear, or
Sweetie, the Gender-Neutral Language manual
Says, are inappropriate, as is the use of the
feminine gender with reference to ships, hurri-
canes or countries. =

Example: “The M.YV. Up-Island had been in the
fleet for 30 years. She was a proud old vesel.”
That’s wrong. Instead, say, “It was a proud old
vessel.” :

The manual frowns on terms such as career
women, cleaning lady and housewife, suggesting

_ professional or business executive, cleaner or

janitor and homemaker instead.

Government employees are also to avoid putting
men first, as in “men and women,” because it
implies that women are afterthoughts. Of course,
since it’s difficult to come up with a solution
other than switching the two around, we’re left
with men as afterthoughts.

And then there’s the old bone of contention —
the chairman. In the legislature, the NDP has been
using “chair”? for years. Sounds dumb, but what
the hell.

The manual even has problems with the word
mankind, proposing the use of human beings,
humanity or humankind in its place.

One only has to read the introduction to the
manual to get a waft of what sort of minds were at
work in the preparation of the Gender-Neutral
Language manual.

“The government of British Columbia is com-
mitted to the goal of equal opportunity for

women. In working towards this goal, the govern-
ment has developed policies to promote equality
for women in the workplace.

“A gender-neutral policy requiring the removal
of gender bias from all government communica-
tions is an important part of the government’s
action plan.”

With all due respect to the government’s
commitment to women’s equality, one must
question the wisdom of spending taxpayers’
money on this kind of drivel.

For Pete’s sake, no male government employee
I know, and I know a lot, has ever been guilty of
the kind of discriminatory reference to women
that the manual tries to make us believe is
rampant in the public service.

If the government were as committed to
women’s equality as it claims, it could have done
a lot of other things to show that it means
business.

It could have hired more women as deputy
ministers. So far, only two out of 17 are women.
Or how about spending the money wasted on this
highly questionable exercise in promoting lin-
guistic equality and fairness, where probably
neither was needed, on some really important
things such as shelters for abused women?

The last guy, pardon me, person, I remember
interfering with the natural evolution of a lan-
guage was Hitler. He wanted to rid the German
language of all foreign influences, including Latin
and French. It didn’t work either.

Folks in the Rhineland, for instance, whose
language had been strongly influenced as the
result of a number of French occupations, kept
calling sidewalks trottoirs, and named their boys
Jean.

I, therefore, wouldn’t hold my breath for this
Gender-Neutral Language manual to dramatically
change attitudes in the public service if, indeed,
they need changing in the first place.

Meanwhile, we should be grateful for small
mercies. As long as the NDP is busy meddling
with the English language, they may not have the
time or inclination to interfere in the workings of
the free market economy.

So, let them prepare pamphlets on whatever
tickles their fancy, until we’re awash in a sea of
syntactical caring and compassion. But, never,
never let them refer to me as a journalist. No
matter what the Gender-Neutral Language man-
ual may say, I’m a newspaperman.

Looking for the

WHERE DID THAT PUP GO, is what Don
Robb of the Sidney/North Saanich Historical
Society wants to know. In 1944 a film company
from Hollywood was at the Victoria Airport
shooting a motion picture called Son of Lassie.
The Peninsula was considered to be Norway but
locals will recognize what is now the Victoria
Flying Club hangar in the background of some of
the scenes. Robb has parts of the film relating to
the airport but discovered that Lassie (a female)
had a pup while she was here. Apparently, the pup
was left with a corporal in the air force squadron
when the film crew left. Robb is hoping that the
pup or ancestors of the pup are still on the
Peninsula and will help him with a historical
video. “Who’s got the pup?” Robb asked. If you
know anything about it, give him a call at
656-5458.

* Kk *

A CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND project got a
big boost from the Sidney Rotary Club recently.
Rotary member Reg Teeney presented Sidney
council with a cheque for $3,600. The money will
be used for playground equipment in Beaver
Park, off Bowerbank near Ardwell and Piercy
Avenue.

* * *

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS from the
Peninsula have helped the Greater Victoria
Christmas Seal Campaign raise $124,337 tow-
ard about $1 million raised across the province so
far. “We are 70 per cent of the way toward our
provincial goal of $1.7 million,” Victoria-area
director Maurice Cownden said recently. “These
are tough economic times and we were worried
that Christmas Seals may suffer because of it.”

Ley IGS

eau

Even if Peninsula residents can’t afford to give
this year, Cownden urges them to use the gold
Christmas Seals on parcels, cards and holiday

Mail because “it shows you support the Lung

Association’s emphasis on clean healthy air.”
* kx
NEW PRESIDENT of the Vancouver Island
Municipal Clerk’s Association is North Saanich
municipal clerk Joan Schill. She is the second

female president in the organization’s history.
= ee *

GETTING RID OF the doldrums at work took
on new meaning for 25-year-old Lisa Bell of
Sidney recently. While at work in Brentwood’s
Prestige Dry Cleaners, Bell bought a Super
Banco instant win lottery ticket. “I just couldn’t
believe it was for real when I saw those three
$10,000 symbols,” she said. “In order to be 100
per cent sure I validated the ticket in the lottery
terminal.” She plans to pay bills, fill up her bank
account and take a trip to Banff. “This will be a
Christmas I won’t soon forget.”

* kK

TheReview Wednesday, December 18,1991 — A\
ee hia :

24

Phone 656-3939

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