'Long' doesn't measure up for people

To the Editor:

I wonder if anyone could explain to me why babies tiny, newborn human beings are "long" while everyone else; men, women, girls and boys, are "tall?" To me it's insulting to characterize anyone of any age as "long."

Routine birth announcements give newborns' weight in pounds and ounces. Fine. But their height is given as their length! Demeaning. How the heck did that get started?

Dachshunds are long. Alligators are long. Giraffes, trees, flagpoles are tall. And people are tall. Babies are people, not dachshunds.

Expectant mothers and dads, give your wee babe a little dignity. When his or her arrival is announced to the rest of us, use a description that befits a person.

Ted Hardgrove