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Leave it to Righties to mourn the loss of the word ni&&er. It's a good book but offensive... simply switch a word or two and voila - a classic for the schoolroom, what's the big deal?
Artistic integrity is the big deal. It's like dressing nude statues up with fig leafs: You're changing what the artist wrought, and that's out of line. If the precious snowflakes can't handle the book as the artist wrote it, give them something else to read. Or better yet, prepare them, work with them, establish the context - in short, educate them.
Leave it to Righties to mourn the loss of the word ni&&er. It's a good book but offensive... simply switch a word or two and voila - a classic for the schoolroom, what's the big deal?
First of all, this is probably the first time in my life, I've been called a "Rightie". Secondly, what is 'offensive' about classic literature? Yes, some of the language used in this book is not used today by 'decent' people. But it WAS used at the time this book was written. And to remove it now would remove the impact and meaning from Mr. Clements' book. As has been stated several times in this thread, use it as a teaching experience to teach your child(ren) how the world used to be and why it is no longer that way.
The wording of the book was written for impact, and changing it insults the author.
I'm pissed they are even suggesting it. Its a wonderful book, just the way Mark Twain intended it to be.
I agree. You know what is really so very sad about all the people who want this change? That they are so ignorant and uneducated that they don't even realize that Mark Twain was speaking AGAINST the derogatory treatment of blacks in his depiction of people who spoke this way. Huck Finn is a satirical work, like most of Twain's literature. I find it sad that some think that black children are so intellectually inferior that they cannot learn how to read good literature and understand the deeper meanings present within it.
Leave it to Righties to mourn the loss of the word ni&&er. It's a good book but offensive... simply switch a word or two and voila - a classic for the schoolroom, what's the big deal?
Really?
So I guess the next step is to excise the N Word from every single hip hop record ever made, not to mention a few Sly Stone songs and one from John Lennon?
Then I guess you can move on to every film ever made that features the N Word?
And of course, there are other books like Roots or Sounder that have the N Word. Are you gonna censor them all?
And then finally, Back to NE, I am quite sure you will be the first volunteer to head out into the community and implore all those black folks from using the N Word as they are the ones keeping it alive.
You see, one feature of the slippery slope is the empty headed reactionaries are the first to fall.
Submit what you want. My child(ren) who ARE black, are taught what the real world is like. Not some watered down, milk toast version, of a bunch of liberal white people, who want to re-write history.
Huckleberry Finn is history. And replacing the "N" word (since you can't say ****** on here), with "slave," is re-writing history, to placate, some rich white people, who want to show the world: "We care."
No you, no they don't. You care? Leave things along; just as they were written. The world needs to remember EVERYTHING. Not just what is politically correct for the moment.
By the way, I do not and most people do not, believe Mark Twain was a racist. In fact, the exact opposite.
Rep point coming your way. I'd give you more if I could.
Leave it to Righties to mourn the loss of the word ni&&er. It's a good book but offensive... simply switch a word or two and voila - a classic for the schoolroom, what's the big deal?
This is no different than when John ******** requested that all nude statues in the Vatican be covered up while he visited.
Children reading the N word in classic literature OR hearing the N word in rapper Nas CD that was titled with the N word and each song has the N word numerous times?
If Mark Twain is being censored, shouldn't rap music also be censored?
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Secondly, what is 'offensive' about classic literature? Yes, some of the language used in this book is not used today by 'decent' people. But it WAS used at the time this book was written. And to remove it now would remove the impact and meaning from Mr. Clements' book. As has been stated several times in this thread, use it as a teaching experience to teach your child(ren) how the world used to be and why it is no longer that way. 
