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May 19, 2006
What Was I Saying about Perspective?
I recently came across a blog editorial entitled, "Supreme Court Officially Sends Taxpayers into Early Menopause."
Just kidding! The actual title was Supreme Court Officially Emasculates Taxpayers.
That's right: Taxpayers are officially gendered male, and the supreme court has officially castrated them.
Now, I am not happy with what the Supreme Court did in this particular case, but I wouldn't call it "emasculation." The Supreme Court has decided that "State taxpayers have no standing ... to challenge state tax or spending decisions simply by virtue of their status as taxpayers." But I don't think that really qualifies as "cutting off the testicles" of taxpayers. I suppose you could argue that "emasculate" in this case simply means to "deprive of strength of vigor," but still, that definition only works if the person being weakened is male; you wouldn't say, "My grandmother was severely emasculated by her struggle with breast cancer."
So--anyone want to suggest again that I'm "overreaching" when I say that the world happens from the perspective of a man?
Posted by Holly at May 19, 2006 2:41 PM
Comments
Yes, but I don't consider myself less of a woman because I'm past menopause! However,I get your point.
It's like "seminal" in academic prose. I always use "generative."
Posted by: Hattie at May 19, 2006 2:51 PM
Yes, but I don't consider myself less of a woman because I'm past menopause!
I suppose I could have said "Supreme Court performs hysterectomies on tax payers...." That might have been better. But then, I know women who've had hysterectomies and they don't consider themselves lesser women as a result, either. Maybe women are just better equipped to deal with change....
I avoid the word "seminal" as well. "Generative" is a good replacement, but I also use "ovunal" from time to time too.
Posted by: Holly at May 19, 2006 3:10 PM
I get the feeling that you'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony. Well, I like Coke so sign me up. Has your book been discovered yet?
Posted by: Dale at May 19, 2006 11:27 PM
No such luck about my book, Dale. And I don't really care if the world learns to sing--I just want it to quit treating women like crap.
Posted by: Holly at May 20, 2006 9:16 AM