By Dr. Lila R. Fink
Today I was appalled at a headline on the front page of the Santa Monica Daily Press (Feb. 9, page 1). Once, again, sexism seems to dominate the minds of reporters/headline editors. The headline reads, “Officials discuss ways to take the keys away from ‘grandma.’” Yet, as the article cites, it was a man who killed shoppers at our farmers’ market. In addition, it was an elderly man who killed a teenage girl at 21st and Montana Avenue a few years back; it was a male who killed teens on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and 15th Street a few years back; and it is, more often than not, men who view their cars as emblems of their masculine identity and avoid giving up their cars as age diminishes their vision and reaction time. Yes, women, just like men, need to evaluate their driving ability as they age, but can you cite a fatal accident in Santa Monica that was caused by a female driver? I suggest you buy a writer’s guide for your staff and have them read the chapter on sexist language. Put the blame where it belongs.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 16, 2004. Read the original PDF.