Words matter
An ancient grave with a sword, shield and mirror belonged to a woman who about 2,000 years ago may have fought in raids and helped fend off enemy attacks in what’s now southwestern England, Bruce Bower reported in “Iron Age warrior grave belonged to a woman” (SN: 1/13/24, p. 5).
Reader Cathryn Brenner expressed disappointment in a phrase in the story. “The woman warrior was described as potentially having a ‘violent streak.’ The connotation of violent streak, if not the actual meaning, is negative and used to describe a personality trait that is evidenced in the frequent use of violence or physical harm to others across many contexts,” Brenner wrote. “I see no evidence in this article that, if she was a warrior, she acted in any way other than a male warrior — raiding and defending. And I have never ever ever seen a male warrior described with this term! I am shocked that at this time, this phrase got past everyone involved with the article.”
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