Let's become a nation of hupers

Writers are faced with a problem that requires the services of a neologist. A new word is needed to solve the problem of sexist terminology. For centuries writers have used the pronoun "he" to indicate a human person of either gender. However, there has arisen a criticism, by some members of the female gender, to the use of any designation of gender implying masculinity.

The dilemma is that there is no word in the English language that is acceptable as a singular pronoun to indicate a person of either gender.

I propose a new word to be created to solve the problem. "Huper" will accomplish the task. Huper is derived from the combination of the words "human", which is unacceptable because it contains the word "man", and "person" which is also unacceptable because it contains the word "son".

The new word may sound strange, as well it should, since it is unfamiliar.

As B. F. Skinner, noted psychologist, once said, "One of the virtues of crackpot ideas is that they breed rapidly and their progeny show extraordinary mutations." One progeny of this idea might be an acceptable generic title for all. Imagine "Dear Huper" rather than "Dear Sir or Madam." Huper is to be used when the gender is not known or when both genders are referenced. Since huper can be used to indicate either or both genders, it can be used in the plural form thereby allowing the use of "they" and "them" in reference to hupers. Huper also has the flexibility for using other parts of speech, such as huperism, huperself, huperistic, and huperish.

How could any huper object to the correctness of another huper using insensitive, sexist, chauvinistic language when the huper was referring to another huper member of a particular group of hupers?

Consider the following as examples:

The titles Alderhuper or Congresshuper.

Huper who hesitates is lost.

Hupers who can, do; hupers who can't, teach.

Ronald Wilkes

Hanover Park