What’s behind PM’s ‘peoplekind’ controversy?

of a left-wing feminist mansplaining gender to a woman that has helped this catch on: It also taps into the heated debate over pronoun usage, particularly when it comes to the use of genderneutral alternatives in place of “he” or “she.”

Indeed, the person most famous for arguing against the mandated usage of gender-neutral pronouns, Canada’s own Jordan Peterson, was quickly booked on Fox & Friends to discuss Trudeau’s use of “peoplekind.”

“I’m afraid that our prime minister is only capable of running his ideas on a few very narrow ideological tracks,” Peterson said on the show Tuesday. “I think he runs an ideology in his head and accepts the output without question, and I think we’re really going to pay for it in Canada in ways that we can’t yet imagine.” and at one point she thanks Trudeau for ensuring gender parity in his cabinet. Even the sentence that ultimately leads Trudeau to interject is oddly contradictory on gender, though perhaps on purpose: “Maternal love is the love that’s going to change the future of mankind,” she says.

So Trudeau’s comment might simply have been a joke about the irony of it — and also an attempt to relieve tension, given the audience had been booing the questioner for taking so much time.

The woman herself seems to have taken it in that spirit, as she laughs and says “Exactly!”

Further evidence: Trudeau has a history of making weird off-the-cuff jokes that land poorly. Most infamously, at a conference in October 2014, he made a cringeworthy joke when asked a serious question about whether he would continue the combat mission in Iraq.

“Why aren’t we talking more about the kind of humanitarian aid that Canada can and must be engaged in?” he said. “Rather than, you know, trying to whip out our CF-18s and show them how big they are. It just doesn’t work like that in Canada.”

The phrase “whip out our CF-18s” dogged Trudeau for months afterward, as he was accused of being a politician who can’t be taken seriously on the world stage.

OK, so I guess there’s a chance it was just a stupid joke. But does the word ‘peoplekind’ even make sense?

There is a substantial amount of literature on the use of “mankind,” some of which argues the term should be fine for continued usage even in these moreinclusive times, since it originally derives from the Old English word “mann,” which generally meant all people, not just men.

But given the easy alternatives that don’t have male-centric connotations, the consensus among modern style guides is there’s no good reason to use “mankind.”

Most of these guides suggest going with “humankind” or “humanity” as the best options. The word “personkind” is less commonplace, but still used occasionally.

But “peoplekind”? Nobody says that. Why Trudeau chose to go with that word instead of the significantly more natural options might be the real mystery here. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers questions at his cross country town hall meeting at MacEwan University in Edmonton last week. Justin Trudeau, one-time dramatic arts teacher and current Canadian prime minister, has been on a cross-country odyssey of late, holding town halls and fielding questions from Joe Public. The frank, open, and revealing format has revealed several things about Trudeau, including, perhaps, that he doesn’t always think before he speaks, or if he does, he would be wise (smart?) to think again. Below, we offer a brief history of the handsome Liberal politician whose foot is never far removed from his mouth.

The federal government is in a protracted legal battle with certain veterans advocacy groups over just compensation for years of military service. Brock Blaszczyk, who lost a leg to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2009, takes the microphone.

Trudeau town hall, Edmonton

I was prepared to be killed in action, what I wasn’t prepared for, Mr. Prime Minister, is Canada turning its back on me. And Trudeau says... Thank you sir, thank you. Thank you for being here today to share your justifiable passion and frustration and anger with me ... On a couple elements you brought up. First of all, why are we still fighting against certain veterans groups in court? Because they are asking for more than we are able to give right now.

Omar Khadr, notorious terrorist, receives $10-million compensation settlement from Canadian government; dozens of Canadian citizens who joined, or supported ISIL in some capacity, are reported to have returned to Canada.

Trudeau town hall, Edmonton

I need to know how you’re going to protect future Canadians, like my young daughter, 10, 15, 20 years from now, when you’re letting people in with an ideology that just doesn’t conform to what we are doing here. And Trudeau says... Well, I can tell you when Italian families settled in Montreal in the postwar years, they faced terrible discrimination, and people who pushed back at them and said, “No, no, no, you don’t belong here, you don’t speak English or French. Every wave of immigration has faced push-back, because of how they dressed or how they sounded or what their belief or religion was ...

Justin Trudeau is the bilingual prime minister of a bilingual country. He is asked a question in English.

Trudeau town hall, Sherbrooke, Que., 2017

Of particular concern in this area are services to minority populations. Most of the public services in this area are available in French only ... I would really appreciate your comment on this subject. And Trudeau says... Merci. Thank you. (And switches to French). If you’ll allow me, I’ll respond in French, so everyone can understand. Thank you for using our country’s two official languages, but we’re in Quebec, so I’ll answer in French.

Trudeau, in his preprime minister years as Liberal leader, launches a charm offensive, hosting a ladiesonly event dubbed: “Justin Unplugged.” Toronto

Event host lobs Trudeau a softie about what country (besides Canada) he admires most. And Trudeau says .... There is a level of admiration I actually have for China, because their basic dictatorship is actually allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.

(Side note: A straightfaced Tom Mulcair, former NDP leader, later responds to Trudeau comment. “I’m not a big fan of dictatorships, I rather prefer democracy.”)