It is a waste of our tax dollars to spend time discussing changing titles to reflect gender neutrality. We are all humans, part of mankind, both male and female, man and woman alike. Terms like midshipman are already gender neutral since all are called midshipman. That title Never meant you were male. It meant you were a new recruit. The term is also steeped in history which you would be stripping from all present and future USNA students
Joe Oster - 8 years ago
It should be "Midshipman," unless the student identifies as an "Admiral."
Sean - 8 years ago
All great comments, Obviously most of the country feels the same, makes you think who is pushing this agenda? How far will it go?
Kristen - 8 years ago
As a female Academy graduate from 2012, I can assure you that we (females in the Navy) are not worried about such trivial issues. Why would being called a "midshipman" offend me? It's a term that comes from our historical background and is a badge of honor. Do they really not have more important issues to deal with?
J. Wachter '81 - 8 years ago
They do something so insanely STUPID like that, and the school will not get another alumni dollar from me....
Chris - 8 years ago
Agreed with all these comments. The PC (heaven forbid I mention the adversaries from WWII) group has gone too far. Take a poll of those that are actually serving and stop catering to those that think these are issues but won't give their service to their country. Thanks to the Gazette for giving me the link here. While we're at it, instead of "midshipperson" (sp?) can we please make it "midshippersun" because there's still a male pronoun in there and that is bound to offend someone...
J Schuller - 8 years ago
This is reflective of how far off compass this country has gone. There IS something to be said for tradition. Women are and should be integrated within the Navy, however, changing the name of a rank is ridiculous. I suppose we can't use ComMANder anymore either. If forced to make a name change, how about just using Ensign (junior grade)? Works as well as anything else. I suppose Bill the Goat will soon be neutered and called a gender neutral "Billie".
L J Real - 8 years ago
This country is going to far with PC CRAP. What next, humanity known as mankind becomes personkind? Anyone named Mann become Person. LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE!
Scott - 8 years ago
This year's incoming class (Class of 2019) has the largest percentage of women midshipmen in USNA's history.....ask THEM and their female classmates what THEY think.
This is a non issue allowed to fester by a witless, gutless, PC administration that has run amok. Please stall this until after November when the culture of our military leaders will be sure to reflect a less PC POTUS.
Vice Admiral Ed Straw, USN (Retired) - 8 years ago
I would bet that a survey of the Women at Annapolis would prove that they disagree with the idea of changing their rank to something without the word “man.” I wonder if the PC-crowd in Washington will want to remove “man” from human?
Vice Admiral Ed Straw, USN (Retired)
NY, NY
S. Welch - 8 years ago
It is a RANK not a name.
M Conklin - 8 years ago
If the intent is to remove 'man' from career titles expected to be open to women perhaps the debate should start with the most basic term of all - 'woman'. If the term 'Midshipman' is so limiting for a female's career choice then surely the term 'woman' is just as limiting for a female's existence.
Or maybe it's all just a red herring, designed to show 'we're doing something' even if that something is a farce.
It is a waste of our tax dollars to spend time discussing changing titles to reflect gender neutrality. We are all humans, part of mankind, both male and female, man and woman alike. Terms like midshipman are already gender neutral since all are called midshipman. That title Never meant you were male. It meant you were a new recruit. The term is also steeped in history which you would be stripping from all present and future USNA students
It should be "Midshipman," unless the student identifies as an "Admiral."
All great comments, Obviously most of the country feels the same, makes you think who is pushing this agenda? How far will it go?
As a female Academy graduate from 2012, I can assure you that we (females in the Navy) are not worried about such trivial issues. Why would being called a "midshipman" offend me? It's a term that comes from our historical background and is a badge of honor. Do they really not have more important issues to deal with?
They do something so insanely STUPID like that, and the school will not get another alumni dollar from me....
Agreed with all these comments. The PC (heaven forbid I mention the adversaries from WWII) group has gone too far. Take a poll of those that are actually serving and stop catering to those that think these are issues but won't give their service to their country. Thanks to the Gazette for giving me the link here. While we're at it, instead of "midshipperson" (sp?) can we please make it "midshippersun" because there's still a male pronoun in there and that is bound to offend someone...
This is reflective of how far off compass this country has gone. There IS something to be said for tradition. Women are and should be integrated within the Navy, however, changing the name of a rank is ridiculous. I suppose we can't use ComMANder anymore either. If forced to make a name change, how about just using Ensign (junior grade)? Works as well as anything else. I suppose Bill the Goat will soon be neutered and called a gender neutral "Billie".
This country is going to far with PC CRAP. What next, humanity known as mankind becomes personkind? Anyone named Mann become Person. LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE!
This year's incoming class (Class of 2019) has the largest percentage of women midshipmen in USNA's history.....ask THEM and their female classmates what THEY think.
This is a non issue allowed to fester by a witless, gutless, PC administration that has run amok. Please stall this until after November when the culture of our military leaders will be sure to reflect a less PC POTUS.
I would bet that a survey of the Women at Annapolis would prove that they disagree with the idea of changing their rank to something without the word “man.” I wonder if the PC-crowd in Washington will want to remove “man” from human?
Vice Admiral Ed Straw, USN (Retired)
NY, NY
It is a RANK not a name.
If the intent is to remove 'man' from career titles expected to be open to women perhaps the debate should start with the most basic term of all - 'woman'. If the term 'Midshipman' is so limiting for a female's career choice then surely the term 'woman' is just as limiting for a female's existence.
Or maybe it's all just a red herring, designed to show 'we're doing something' even if that something is a farce.