Letter to the editor, New Jersey's Bergen County Record:

I'd like to call your attention to the subliminally sexist message of one of our most common roadside signs: the "school-crossing" sign that appears in almost every neighborhood in the country. The sign features a picture of two children, a boy and a girl, crossing the street together. The boy is much taller than the girl, portraying the part of the older brother, while the girl's role is that of the dependent younger sister. The boy seems to have his hand gripping the little girl's elbow, as if he were guiding her. All these details suggest that the boy is dominant, and the girl is weaker. I suggest that half of our school-crossing signs be changed to show a taller girl and a smaller boy. A small change like this could give American children a much better sense of the full range of possible relationships between males and females.

—Sarah McGarth

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