CDZ Feminism/anti-sexism gone too far or appropriately applied....

[320 Years of History]

For several hundred years many hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. For example, there was Hurricane Santa Ana which struck Puerto Rico with exceptional violence on July 26, 1825, and San Felipe (the first) and San Felipe (the second) which hit Puerto Rico on September 13 in both 1876 and 1928.

Clement Wragge, Director of the Queensland state meteorological department at the end of the 19th century, is credited with being the first person to systematically name storms after real people. The idea never really caught on. But it was revived in the 1940s by the American Weather Bureau when short-wave radio came into general use for the transmission of weather forecasts and warnings to shipping and aviation. Giving hurricanes nicknames was a very simple and quick way of identifying a particular storm from one day to the next. In 1953 the National Weather Service began using female names for storms.

For many years hurricanes and other tropical storms bore only girls' names. In that era when political correctness had never been heard of, the exclusively male meteorological community in the USA considered female names appropriate for such unpredictable and dangerous phenomena. In the 1970s the growing numbers of female meteorologists began object to such a sexist practice, and from 1978 onwards girls' and boys' names alternated.

Source: Weather Facts: History of Hurricane Names - Weather UK - weatheronline.co.uk
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What do you think re: the following:

• Was it sexist in both intent and practice to assign only female names to hurricanes?
• Did the practice of giving hurricanes male names as well as female names in some way -- great or small -- help mitigate sexism's perpetuation in the U.S?
• What's in a name? Are individuals any more or less well called or hearkened by dint of their name? Is one's character different by dint of their name?
• What makes a name be a male or female name? (Scottie Hughes; Stevie Nicks; Evelyn Waugh; Glenn Close; Carroll O'Connor; Sean Young) What about folks whose given name is a family surname? (Anderson Cooper; Cooper Anderson) Gender/sex has nothing to do with their given name.

 

[Wilbur Right]

What makes a name be a male or female name?

In some cases, it is just the changing of an "I". Tony to Toni for instance.

 

[Moonglow]

I could not possibly remark on sexism when I don't know the real reasons as to why females names were used......But I do know that men and doctors had some strange ideas about why women acted as they did..

..

 

[Compost]

It's reasonable to name hurricanes to keep records on them. Numbers could be assigned to them, I suppose, but some people would gripe about that because some people gripe just to gripe. That's what I think of the notion that it is somehow anti woman to give a hurricane a female name. (Notice in the past few years, the names have gotten more international. Don't want to offend anyone! So, name the hurricanes Fiona and Jose along with John and Susan).

Names are handy for identification. If someone is molded by their name, they choose to be. If someone judges someone by their name, that says more about the person doing the judging than by the person being judged by their name. Male and female names- what's the difference? I don't know. I know a woman named Cory. I know several men named Cory. To me, this means nothing. People giving their children a surname as a first name is something to which I am indifferent.

In sum, it is not sexist to name anything. Nor is it sexist to call a hurricane or a ship, or a dog or a woman, a she. It seems to me that those who cry sexist over stuff like this fail to show any real merit to their complaints and are just practicing perpetual outrage.

 

[Holos]

Was it sexist in both intent and practice to assign only female names to hurricanes?

The question, most fundamentally, ends up referring to its own semantics; to the use of its words. Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact how each of those practicing meteorologists through the last century thought and behaved about sex and gender, and how they themselves applied the definitions of the words listed.

Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Did the practice of giving hurricanes male names as well as female names in some way -- great or small -- help mitigate sexism's perpetuation in the U.S?

Again we have a similar problem with this question. Sexism isn't a clearly defined term, especially if we are considering the entirety of the U.S. and how the term is perpetuated across it.

You could have presented your own poignant definition so we could have a circumstantial debate according to your personal opinion. That way we would avoid unnecessary conflict brought by personal affirmation in reach for an alliance and alignment with national, absent opinions (which become irrelevant since the purported national opinions forming the national definition of sexism wouldn't be able to participate in the debate to confirm their positions).

What's in a name? Are individuals any more or less well called or hearkened by dint of their name? Is one's character different by dint of their name?

It depends on what language we are using. Some languages will have a name with letters. Other languages will have a name with sounds. Other languages will have a name with the whole alphabet in it. Still others with the whole of the name's History in it.

Essentially, there could be anything in a name. From law to leisure.

Does the extensive containing of a name affect those who choose to port it? Yes, of course it does. Does it affect those who do not choose to port a specific name or any name at all? No, it doesn't, even if the name is attributed to them.

What makes a name be a male or female name?

Personal choice.

Any individual is entitled to have any name they choose, and further place that name in any category of their choice.

 

[320 Years of History]

Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact....Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Yes, I realize that. I realize too that few if any folks here are going to perform an exhaustive investigation into the sexist over-/undertones and intent (or lack thereof) of hurricane naming. I just wanted to find out what folks think.

It's rare that I create threads that don't have widely distributed and well documented and researched bodies of thought on them, but it does happen. This thread is one of those instances. I don't really care what folks think about it; I just thought I'd create a discussion thread that allows plenty of room for vapid responses to be "okay" or "good enough."

 

[Holos]

Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact....Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Yes, I realize that. I realize too that few if any folks here are going to perform an exhaustive investigation into the sexist over-/undertones and intent (or lack thereof) of hurricane naming. I just wanted to find out what folks think.

It's rare that I create threads that don't have widely distributed and well documented and researched bodies of thought on them, but it does happen. This thread is one of those instances. I don't really care what folks think about it; I just thought I'd create a discussion thread that allows plenty of room for vapid responses to be "okay" or "good enough."

Is there then any topic in relation to the thread that you would still like to discuss about or know of my or anyone's thoughts?

 

[320 Years of History]

Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact....Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Yes, I realize that. I realize too that few if any folks here are going to perform an exhaustive investigation into the sexist over-/undertones and intent (or lack thereof) of hurricane naming. I just wanted to find out what folks think.

It's rare that I create threads that don't have widely distributed and well documented and researched bodies of thought on them, but it does happen. This thread is one of those instances. I don't really care what folks think about it; I just thought I'd create a discussion thread that allows plenty of room for vapid responses to be "okay" or "good enough."

Is there then any topic in relation to the thread that you would still like to discuss about or know of my or anyone's thoughts?

Answering directly and intelligently the questions I asked in the OP would be enough sharing of thought on the matter....at least as far as I am concerned. If folks take the discussion somewhere that's related, great...

 

[oldsoul]

 

[JoeMoma]

To paraphrase the last line of The Morning Bride, Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Nor does a hurricane,but perhaps a hurricane is as close as it gets.

William Congreve wrote it.

 

[OldLady]

Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact....Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Yes, I realize that. I realize too that few if any folks here are going to perform an exhaustive investigation into the sexist over-/undertones and intent (or lack thereof) of hurricane naming. I just wanted to find out what folks think.

It's rare that I create threads that don't have widely distributed and well documented and researched bodies of thought on them, but it does happen. This thread is one of those instances. I don't really care what folks think about it; I just thought I'd create a discussion thread that allows plenty of room for vapid responses to be "okay" or "good enough."

Ouch. So much for replying to this one.

 

[320 Years of History]

Therefore an answer would only be conclusive if we knew for a fact....Neither your thread, nor my experience, has been able to provide the information necessary to answer the question.

Yes, I realize that. I realize too that few if any folks here are going to perform an exhaustive investigation into the sexist over-/undertones and intent (or lack thereof) of hurricane naming. I just wanted to find out what folks think.

It's rare that I create threads that don't have widely distributed and well documented and researched bodies of thought on them, but it does happen. This thread is one of those instances. I don't really care what folks think about it; I just thought I'd create a discussion thread that allows plenty of room for vapid responses to be "okay" or "good enough."

Ouch. So much for replying to this one.

LOL You can say whatever you want. I am sure I won't have a damn thing to say about whatever you write. As I said, I just want to know what folks think. I doubt whatever you write will be drivel; you don't generally do that.

 

[oldsoul]

I find it interesting that hurricanes and winter storms get names, yet significant thunderstorms (even those producing significant numbers of tornadoes) do not. I wonder... why is that? Is it due to overall strength of the storm? Nah, couldn't be, otherwise we would have major thunderstorms named as well. Sheer number of people it is likely to affect? This could be, ever heard of a hurricane or winter stormed named that had no chance of impacting a major population base (AKA major city)? I especially refer to named winter storms that have impacted the northeast in recent years. This strength of storm is actually quite common in some parts of the hemisphere, yet they get no attention whatsoever, unless of course a year passes without them.... Then it's global warming...

 

[JoeMoma]

I find it interesting that hurricanes and winter storms get names, yet significant thunderstorms (even those producing significant numbers of tornadoes) do not. I wonder... why is that? Is it due to overall strength of the storm? Nah, couldn't be, otherwise we would have major thunderstorms named as well. Sheer number of people it is likely to affect? This could be, ever heard of a hurricane or winter stormed named that had no chance of impacting a major population base (AKA major city)? I especially refer to named winter storms that have impacted the northeast in recent years. This strength of storm is actually quite common in some parts of the hemisphere, yet they get no attention whatsoever, unless of course a year passes without them.... Then it's global warming...

Why is that? Probably because there are many more thunderstorms....and because they pop up quicker and go away quicker than Hurricanes. A Hurricane may be developing for a week before it hits land and causes damage. A tornado can form almost instantly in a storm and be gone again in a few minutes, but still wipe out several trailer parks..

 

[OldLady]

I've still got a slow release of steam coming out of my ears due to an earlier encounter today with a man here using his equipment to humiliate, show off his "power," for no reason except he doesn't agree with my politics. It's fine to do that here; you're a buttercup or a snowflake if it offends you as a woman. (Well, to be fair, it took about three hours--and probably a changing of the mods--but the post did eventually get taken down. First it just got moved.)
And here you are talking about the names of HURRICANES as a feminist issue?
Talk about vapid.
The war ain't over. The majority of posters here are the soul of propriety, but it really irks me that the few who really hate and disrespect women and make it personal here are allowed to continue on their merry way with their "mighty sword" in hand.

 

[320 Years of History]

I find it interesting that hurricanes and winter storms get names, yet significant thunderstorms (even those producing significant numbers of tornadoes) do not. I wonder... why is that? Is it due to overall strength of the storm? Nah, couldn't be, otherwise we would have major thunderstorms named as well. Sheer number of people it is likely to affect? This could be, ever heard of a hurricane or winter stormed named that had no chance of impacting a major population base (AKA major city)? I especially refer to named winter storms that have impacted the northeast in recent years. This strength of storm is actually quite common in some parts of the hemisphere, yet they get no attention whatsoever, unless of course a year passes without them.... Then it's global warming...

Maybe there's an answer to your opening question here: Why are hurricanes the only storms that get a name? - CNN.com . I don't know; I didn't read the article.

 

[320 Years of History]

And here you are talking about the names of HURRICANES as a feminist issue?
Talk about vapid.

Vapid topic: any topic where whatever folks say isn't worth discussing. LOL

Reason for vapid topics: to allow folks the opportunity to say something without the risk of being rebuked.

 

[OldLady]

And here you are talking about the names of HURRICANES as a feminist issue?
Talk about vapid.

Vapid topic: any topic where whatever folks say isn't worth discussing. LOL

Reason for vapid topics: to allow folks the opportunity to say something without the risk of being rebuked.

No one here could care less if they're rebuked. You know that, right? Everyone posts with earplugs in. So why are you collecting vapid posts? You make no sense sometimes.

 

[320 Years of History]

And here you are talking about the names of HURRICANES as a feminist issue?
Talk about vapid.

Vapid topic: any topic where whatever folks say isn't worth discussing. LOL

Reason for vapid topics: to allow folks the opportunity to say something without the risk of being rebuked.

No one here could care less if they're rebuked. You know that, right? Everyone posts with earplugs in. So why are you collecting vapid posts? You make no sense sometimes.

Okay....let's call it "I had a moment." <winks>

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Let's see if I have this right. There are hundreds of millions of women in the Islam world living lives as second-class citizens as codified in the legal system they follow. The horrible practice of female genital mutilation is endemic to huge swaths of area in the Islamic world. Women are groomed from the time they are children to wear slave clothing that covers them from head to toe and need to fear for their lives if they look at the wrong boy or show a tiny patch of forbidden skin.

Am I to understand that it is the naming of hurricanes that is the real problem, especially inasmuch as the very people who get all worked up about that are the very same that like to call people names if they dare to object to the rampant Islamic misogyny?