[rant]
Yes "men" used to mean people, because for all intents and purposes, in many societies in the past, woman and children were chattel. mere possessions. less than full citizens..

even the US, we counted men, women and children in the census, and counted (to our shame) slaves as 2/3 of a person.
after the civil war, with the emancipation, there was no great joy in giving the franchise to vote to former slaves, but it was an easier thing to do than to give woman the right to vote. (its easier to go from 2/3 of a person to full person hood, than it is to go from men really equaling people and including women!)

endless years of this, and many women are a bit sensitive about the idea that 'men' or 'man' means 'people'... it meant 'people' only because women didn't 'count' in the men (of that time) views. we were better than animals, but not better than children.

No one would think "white male" could be used to generically define all males in America-- all males in America are not white. but somehow, women are hysterical when they object to men being used to as people.
[/rant]


my other obsession