I took Mo to see "Selma" and it blew his mind.

He's no stranger to the civil rights movement.

We've talked about it at home a lot.

He goes to a school that has an emphasis on social justice.

They talk about it a lot.

I don't think it became "real" to him until today though. Knowing these things happened during my lifetime was incomprehensible to him.

We'd just had a conversation about rap music and the word "nigga" a few days ago. They had a debate about it in class last Friday -- most people didn't find the word offensive.

When we left the movie today he said "OMG! I NEVER want to hear that word ever again! What is wrong with people?"

"Selma" is not the best movie we've ever seen (but the actor who played MLK was really terrific) but it might have been the most important movie Mo has ever seen. It really kind of wrecked him.

I know "nigga" in rap music was intended to take the sting out of the word. Women have .... embraced (?) the words "slut" and "****" for the same reasons.

I don't think any of it works. I think it's okay to keep the sting in some words. I think it's great if they never get said again.

What do you think?