I saw a news report today on calling people by their preferred pronouns. I don’t remember why it was a news report nor looking it up to remind myself. The point is it was about calling people by their preferred pronouns and I wandered into the comments sections which is always a mistake. Comment sections on local news stories have become a breading ground of ignorance, divisiveness, and hate. This was no different but some people gave some strange reasons for not wanting to call someone by their preferred pronouns.
One that stood out to me was by someone that said it made him feel like he had to relearn the entire language. That might be a feeling many in comment sections have as they can’t figure out their/there/they’re, but I’m willing to bet they have no problem calling Robert Rob or Bob or Bert if they desired.
With all the confusing things about the English language personal pronouns are the least of them and calling someone she because that is what they want shouldn’t be that difficult and it speaks to our American ideal of individual liberty. We really have no problem calling people by preferred names all the time. I just asked often if I prefer Dave or David and most of the time when I tell someone I prefer David they call me that or figure out I actually prefer to be called by my last name and don’t even recognize the name David.
I also found it funny that someone that claims to have studied English would be more confused by personal pronouns than trying to read The Wife of Bath in the original Middle English. The history of the English language is long and it has changed many times over. Asking someone to call you by your preferred pronouns shouldn’t be that controversial.
People are bigots and latch onto any excuse to be that way. With all our understanding of humanity it is crazy that a simple thing like a person being born in the wrong body is difficult to understand. Especially for people that believe in the soul. How hard is it to believe a soul got misplaced on the way to their body and that a person wants their body and soul to match? It shouldn’t be that difficult to have respect and empathy towards our fellow humans, but the more I live the more I understand some people won’t ever be happy until we all conform or perish.
David Huzzard Writes 