Yesterday evening, I was on Warren Olney’s radio show, “Which Way LA” talking—- along with Civil Rights Attorney Connie Rice, LA City Controller Laura Chick, and Matt Szabo from the mayor’s office—about what the City of LA is and isn’t doing about gang violence.
(Here’s the link for either podcasting or simply listening on your computer.)
To me the most revealing moment in the half hour show was when Warren asked Szabo when the mayor was going to name his promised gang czar—and Szabo fumfered a little then said “He’ll be named soon.” Or words to that effect. The curious part of this statement was that it was gender-specific. Szabo said “he.” I suspect it was a slip—but a revealing one. It tells us that, while the mayor may or may not have already decided who his gang person is going to be, he has definitely decided who it’s NOT going to be: Connie Rice—the person who is probably, hands down, the most capable.
Pity.
Every comment I can think of is so cynical it’s best left unsaid. Maybe we can be hopeful until it’s clear there is no hope to be had.
Agggghhhhhhhh. The pronoun “he” can be considered gender neutral. Politically correct people are so paranoid and expect everyone to use their “new language.” Now, I see many cases of people incorrectly using a plural pronoun with a singular verb just to avoid using “he.” That drives me nuts. People stumble all over themselves to rephrase simple sentences so that no one is “offended.” Yes, there are alternate and gramatically correct ways to phrase neutral intent, but that often becomes awkward. Is the phrasing more important than the intent? Please tell your journalism students that standard English is okay.
The pronoun “he” may be gender neutral to approximately 50% of the population. The other 50% isn’t so sure.
Hey! She can’t be Czar! I want her to head the Civil Rights Division after 2008 when a Democrat is in the White House. Besides, she has to redeem the Rice name and show the family can produce CAPABILE public servants and not excuse machines.
Woody, I may be reading too much into the “he”—but I don’t think so. I think it was an information providing slip.
Richard, how about, she can be Czar until January 2009, when she’s appointed at the White House. That way she can get things rolling in LA….
Condi Rice is from Birmingham. You people just need us from the South to straighten out your problems.
Celeste, with all due respect to you and LotS, you’re sounding just like women wanting to bitch about nothing, and I’m not even sure if LotS is male or female. You just don’t appreciate what husbands must endure.
Aaacckkkk!!! Woody!!! I’m not complaining about the term, I’m complaining about the fact that I think the mayor’s dude unwittingly let slip—namely that Antonio isn’t going to hire the best guy for the job, who happens in this particular case to be a woman.
Woody read the papers. Condi is a JOKE. Morale at state is lowest anyone can remember and she is seen around the world as a lightweight. And the Chevron business hasn’t helped her either. And she is an excuse machine. “No one could have forseen flying planes into buildings” “No one told us about Bin Laden” And on and on and on . . .
Yeah, Madeleine Albright was such a breath of fresh air.