OPINION: Don't use 'guys' for mixed group

I so enjoyed Hilary Matheson’s Sunday piece about Kalispell Middle School young filmmakers. It sounds like the film projects have been used to address some tough issues that young teens and all young students face today in our cybernetic world. Congrats to Noah Couser for helming this ambitious project!

A word of caution, if I may be allowed... Mr. Couser’s use of the word “guys,” when referring to what I imagine was a mixed group of boys and girls, may seem a minor thing. Given the sensitive issues addressed in the group’s videos, it seems fitting that the same sensitivity should extend to everyone’s interactions, the same consideration should be carried over to our daily interactions with one another.

When I think of some of the prejudicial labels that were so taken for granted in the past, it’s easy to see now how a seemingly minor word or phrase can influence opinions about an entire segment of society. Because we are all connected in ways we have never been before, we should strive to be more thoughtful in our choice of words. We’re not guys, we’re girls, and women, and that can be its own sort of struggle.

I hope lots of people watch these videos... They are wonderful! —Patricia Fogleman, Kalispell