• Beaver@lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      You wouldn’t call people “it”. It’s about showing respect.

      • ManniSturgis@lemmy.zip
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        7 months ago

        I wouldn’t, but I am calling animals it. Only in English tho, we don’t do that in my native language.

      • UnearthedUnusual@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        I know a few people who use it/its pronouns. While I agree that treating animals with respect is a good thing, it pronouns are not necessarily a sign of disrespect or objectification.

        • Beaver@lemmy.ca
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          7 months ago

          Well in that case that is different but usually when we say “it” that is used to refer to physical objects like book or treat. Animals being seen as property harms them.

          • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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            7 months ago

            No, because people can be respectful of animals while using the word “it”.

            You’re asserting all this extra stuff that the word does not convey, because you’ve unconsciously decided that is the only way to use the word.

            But as others are telling you, and is true, it is common in English to use “it” for animals. Despite what your lit teacher told you, that does not create disrespect for the animals. People have been caring for animals, people with hearts, people who don’t treat animals the way they would a book, while using the word “it”, for as long as the English language had existed.

            That thing where you can’t have empathy for an “it”, that a rule in your head.

            • Beaver@lemmy.ca
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              7 months ago

              People have been caring for animals, people with hearts, people who don’t treat animals the way they would a book, while using the word “it”, for as long as the English language had existed.

              I doubt that when factory farms exist.

              Humanity kills more than 80 billion land animals and trillions of aquatic animals ever year.

              https://awellfedworld.org/factory-farms/

          • Nythos
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            7 months ago

            The person getting upset at another person calling a doe an it, telling another to touch grass is just peak internet.

            • MashBoilPitch@lemm.ee
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              7 months ago

              Ikr. I think were now supposed to say something about how this kind of interaction is so reddit. Loudly enough that we can ignore that it’s just how people behave in general.

              • nomous@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago
                • on the internet.

                Cause I promise if I talked like that in real life I’d get eye rolls and wouldn’t be invited out anymore. It’s a great example of “theory is fine but you need to interact with others.”

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        But you would immediately jump in to correct another adult’s use of language, as if they were a child. Despite this talk of respect.