IS GOD "HIM?"

To the Editors of the Crimson:

A letter which appeared in the Nov. 16th Crimson in response to current feminist activities in Church 174 stated that no one should object to the unmarkedness of the masculine gender in English since it is "simply a feature of grammar." The facts presented in the letter were correct, but the authors missed the point. The women in the Divinity School course were raising the more serious question of a possible relationship between this unmarkedness and male-dominated social structure, and that is the question to which the linguists should have addressed themselves. The answer is by no means obvious.

The women's proposal was made in response to a particular assignment in a particular course and should not be taken out of context. We particularly regret that the signers of the letter have used their authority as linguists to deride a social comment without discussing the specific point involved. Sarah E. Thompson   Donna Jo Furrow   Janet Fodor   Dwight Bolinger   Paole Valesio   M.D. Lee   Linda Shumaker   Jonathan Cooper