By Steve Keats
The 1980 edition of the Oxford American Dictionary gives the definition of “fireman” as 1) a member of a fire department; and 2) one whose job is to tend a furnace. I have no doubt that all those who bravely fought the recent blazes, whatever their gender, are proud to be firemen. I’m equally certain that more hurt is caused in the minds of our young by those that, like Ms. Hartley, who would castrate the English language, and perhaps, given their druthers, the huMAN species.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 5, 2007. Read the original PDF.