Started reading Uncle Tom's Cabin today with Scott. We haven't even completed the first chapter and both of us are having a difficult time with how often the word "nigger" is used. It is supposed to be an important literary work, but the value assigned to the word and the frequency of its usage is bothersome to the point that I'd like to stop reading it. At the same time I don't want to teach Scott that he should only stay within his comfort zone. That isn't an attitude that will serve him well in school or work. Plus, learning to deal with uncomfortable things will only help him when faced with uncomfortable situations and fears later in his personal life - help him to confront them and knock them down to size.
I was proud of him today in this area. Twice he reached out and included a disabled person of obvious disability. In reality, treating people equally is how we should all act but differences scare people and can be especially scary to children. The man he treated as everyone should be treated is a person that I have seen adults pretend that he is invisible because they don't know how to deal with him. Scott doing that is really no biggy except it bodes well for him to go beyond personal discomfort to freely do what should be done. Or, so I hope. Peace.
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