Language

Did anyone else following the Groene murder / abduction / lost child found story find this past weekend's associated press stories a little odd? The article that stuck in my mind said Shasta Groene was found "sharing a meal" with a convicted child molester. "Sharing a meal." Do you suppose she called him up and suggested they go out for chilli fries? Sharing a meal, to me, means a joint activity, a form of fellowship. You arrange to meet a friend or invite a group of friends or relatives to your house to eat. You bump into someone at the bookstore and sit down together for a pastry. You generally do not "share a meal" with someone who has held you captive against your will and forced you into sexual activity you did not want, let alone murdered most of your family.

The Inky ticks me off because it has a habit of saying men "babysit" their own children. I can provide examples if anyone wants them. One in particular said a man babysat his daughter while his wife went out. Change the gender there and re-read it. "She babysat her daughter while her husband went to the store." Say what? Parents, whether male or female, mothers or fathers, do not babysit their own children.

I'm not the only one who finds this kind of writing disturbing. For a more detailed look, check here.