http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/05/28/life.language.reut/index.html

It's no longer "The Old Man and the Sea".

"Old" - ageist
"Man" - sexist
"Sea" - discriminates against people living inland

I thought language was supposed to get more specific as time went on, not more general. "The guy and the water" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, either.

When I was in school we read the Chrysalids (about deformed mutant kids), The Snow Goose, And Then There was One (formerly ten Little Indians), numerous Shakespeare plays about all sorts of naughty topics, and of course short stories galore like The Lottery and The Painted Door and Hills Like White Elephants. So what do kids read these days? Garfield comics? Or is that prejudiced towards cats? :) What if I don't like lasagne? What if I think Odie is cute?

AHH! I need a new shift key.