“She” is Worth Fighting For!

She is the biggest ship, me lads, that ever sailed the sea.
As graceful as a swan she goes; we sail her at our ease.
From Arabie around Cape Hope we proudly make our way,
To keep all Europe movin’ from our base at Bantry Bay!

— From Bringing Home the OIl byThe Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makum in a 1960’s Gulf Oil commercial.

“She” is about to disappear due to political correctness.

Scotland’s National Newspaper, The Scotsman is reporting that the Scottish Maritime Museum is giving in to political correctness and will no longer refer to ships as “she.”  The newspaper, quoting the museum’s director, David Mann, says that a vandal has been successful in helping the museum make it’s decision:

“For the second time this year, the museum has been targeted by a vandal, who has destroyed one of the interpretation signs which follow the universally adopted and centuries old maritime tradition of referring to vessels as female.

Like other maritime museums and institutions, we recognise the changes in society and are committed to introducing gender neutral interpretation.”

Here’s my question:  Why doesn’t the museum stand up to the vandal?  Why doesn’t it set up surveillance, arrest and prosecute the person doing this?  Giving in this easily to a politically correct vandal sends a message to other politically correct vandals:  Go ahead and vandalize.  You’ll win.  They’ll give in.

And isn’t it the job of a museum to preserve history and tradition?

Why doesn’t the museum say, “We will stand up for centuries of sailors and sailing?”

“She” is worth fighting for!

– – – –

By the way, here’s the oil commercial I was quoting.  I remember enjoying it when I was a kid watching the NBC Nightly News.

 

Note:  The word “recognize” is spelled “recognise,” as is correct in Britain.  Since it falls within a quotation, I do not change it.

— Mr. Evil