And Then They Came For “The”: Associated Press Warns Use Of The Article Can Be “Dehumanizing”

The Associated Press has announced that the article “the” should be avoided in many circumstances because it is “dehumanizing.”

It warns writers to avoid saying things like “the French” as offensive. It does not seem that we can even just add an x like Latinx.

It is not a gender thing so “thx” will not suffice. It is now an article of faith to stop using the article “the” in referencing groups.

It is reminiscent of Winston Churchill who was chastised for ending a sentence with a preposition. He responded by showing the artificiality of avoiding an ending preposition: “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.”

The AP declared that:

“We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses. And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.”– READ MORE