FEEDBACK

As I was reading the article on “The Soloist” [“Skid Role,” April 19], I remarked how well Geoff Boucher told the story and how sensitively he approached the subject matter. I was, therefore, more than shocked when he referred to Jamie Foxx (in a role) as “a restless young buck.”

I think the last time I read such a phrase was in a novel dealing with slavery times.

I know that backward-thinking trends abound in our country, and I know that words insinuate themselves into our consciousness almost without our knowledge -- like smog gets into our lungs. But Boucher is a journalist and doesn’t have the privilege of unconsciousness. Nor do his editors.

We all live in a society whose language is shaped by prejudicial imaging.

It is not my intent to throw stones, only to understand what led Boucher to use such a phrase.

Sabina Virgo

Echo Park