Gender Bias in Words: Quick Fix?

If I could go back in time and modify one set of words in English, I would switch the meanings of human and man right from the onset. Think about it. If man meant human, then suddenly words like chairman and mailman would be gender neutral and we could avoid the more awkward constructions of chairperson or mail carrier while still being fully inclusive.

Voilà—substantial liberation of the English language in one easy step!

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