At the beginning of the year, Gossips announced the intention to achieve gender neutrality in language by using the term Alder instead of Alderman. Although some pointed out that alder named a tree, and others argued erroneously that alder was an adjective not a noun, there are several municipalities that have replaced Alderman with Alder for the sake of gender neutrality.
At the February meeting of the Common Council, members of that body decided they wanted their title to be gender inclusive. In the discussion that took place at the meeting, the Council decided to break with tradition completely, rejecting both Alder and Alderperson as substitutes for Alderman and opting instead for the term Councilmember. At last night's Council meeting, a resolution was passed to update the city charter and the city code to replace the word Alderman wherever it occurs with Councilmember.
Interestingly, the resolution changing Alderman to Councilmember twice refers to the legislative body of Hudson as the City Council rather than the Common Council. Can codifying that further break with tradition be far behind?
COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK
Breaks with tradition are often required in pursuit of breaking with oppressions and coercions of the past, once they are recognized. The precepts of "historic preservation" would do well to integrate this understanding into approaches to actions with regards to "historic" buildings and neighborhoods. Why should conditions be replicated without thought for what integrations might engender a greater good? REBECCA WOLFF
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