Several readers contacted us over the last few days objecting to the use of the word "kids" in headlines related to Tuesday afternoon's horrific crash, though in most cases they've left us on our own to figure out why it would be objectionable. AP style recommends "children" over "kids" in stories, but the rules don't always apply to headlines, where shorthand is often required to fit tight specs.

Reader Matt Derstine tells us in News is a Conversation that the objection may be rooted in a biblical metaphor. In Matthew 25:33, he writes, "Jesus is explaining how at the last judgment He will divide the sheep from the goats. In the context the sheep will inherit heaven and the goats will be sent to eternal hell. I think this is one bases for the objections to the term 'kids' by christian people."

In a response to the issue via e-mail, opinion page editor Doug Floyd responds: "I believe our responsibility is to use the language correctly to communicate accurate information to our readers. If we let certain people’s sensitivities restrict the use of valid words, then we allow their beliefs to color our journalism."

Not to mention the fact that if we weighed every word we used against the world's religions to avoid crossing paths with unconventional interpretations, we'd never get the paper out.

Then again, we're writing about members of a religious community, which might require a different level of consideration. We wouldn't want to compound the tragedy by using insensitive language in a news story. However, Virginia de Leon says that in her conversations with the community that the Schrocks are members of, no one has voiced an objection to the use of the word "kids" in the headlines. Nevertheless, it's given us plenty of food for thought.

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