AVReading

--> Because culture is so deeply embedded in language, it is often important that we spend a little time thinking very specifically about the words and phrases we choose to use, and under what circumstances.  While some might bristle at the thought of adapting our language to accommodate the latest trends and thinking, I see it differently.  For the change isn’t with our trends or thinking, but with a greater awareness of inequities that have always existed.   This recently became very clear to me when my 9th grade daughter got very irritated with the novel she was reading, To Kill a Mockingbird.  She was disappointed in the character of Atticus, who was supposed to be the moral compass of us all-- defending those who can’t defend themselves, standing tall in the face of adversity, acting on his moral courage.  But she was extremely angry when Atticus made light of putting women on the jury. He states, “I doubt if we'd ever get a complete case tri...