tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post2349873364102186493..comments2022-06-08T05:47:37.237-07:00Comments on The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor: Peggy Noonan, Our Soldiers, and the Question of Gender in WritingCarolyn Howard-Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15041591136206289558noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post-8129806229519886082010-06-28T12:31:18.101-07:002010-06-28T12:31:18.101-07:00Thanks, Phyllis for making it so clear as to why a...Thanks, Phyllis for making it so clear as to why and how to be gender conscious. Noonan's article certainly is a prime example.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing this, Carolyn.Karen Cioffihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15492421057039326702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post-78497597209196183342010-06-28T10:01:07.495-07:002010-06-28T10:01:07.495-07:00Thanks for all your comments. I agree, Maryann, th...Thanks for all your comments. I agree, Maryann, that the he/she thing can be awkward. Sometimes I choose just one or the other for a whole article, too. And, it's said (in some style books) that using "their" can solve the problem, even though it doesn't correspond with a singular antecedent. Thus, we end up breaking one grammar rule to accommodate something that is--at least in my opinion--more important and that is gender equality. <br /><br />And, I had trouble believing Noonan would make this error, too! And that the Wall Street Journal editors wouldn't have caught it!Carolyn Howard-Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041591136206289558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post-68592007466503242542010-06-28T09:29:19.642-07:002010-06-28T09:29:19.642-07:00The Noonan piece makes you realize how important i...The Noonan piece makes you realize how important it is to be as clear as possible in writing. I find it hard to believe it was a simple mistake, but I don't understand why she wouldn't include female soldiers.Nancy Famolarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18276516645921716314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post-37874257949659109282010-06-28T09:20:41.507-07:002010-06-28T09:20:41.507-07:00I'm surprised that a female writer would make ...I'm surprised that a female writer would make such a blatant gender omission. Reading a piece like that would absolutely make one think that women were never harmed in war. Have you heard back from The Wall Street Journal regarding your email?<br /><br />In my writing, I try to use he/she whenever the gender is unclear. In an article like you cited with the scientist, using one or the other gender pronoun will at most irk a few people. Peggy Noonan's choice of gender pronouns, on the other hand, eliminates the role all women play in our military.Darcia Hellehttp://www.quietfurybooks.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195028970390886275.post-73024288036817310702010-06-28T09:11:33.330-07:002010-06-28T09:11:33.330-07:00I agree that the Noonan piece was way off the mark...I agree that the Noonan piece was way off the mark when it comes to gender representation. That was a gross bit of negligence in my estimation. However, I do not strive to always include both genders when I am writing. The he/she is awkward to read consistently in an article, but I do switch to the plural whenever it works smoothly so I can implicitly include both genders.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.com