HANDS OFF THE CLASSICS

Huckleberry Finn removes N-word: Political correctness takes on Mark Twain's classic Mail Online

`````I've written previously of my disgust over the lack of originality today. There's such a dearth of creativity that the media moguls fall upon bad television shows and turn them into movies. Music artists blatantly rip off songs of yore and call it sampling. Excellent books and movies are ruined when some director redoes it and sticks in a bunch of unnecessary special effects and sex scenes. This, however, tops it all.

`````Some imbecile who prays at the alter of Political Correctness has decided to rewrite Mark Twain's classic. It's repugnant that they can do so without the consent of the author. This is another prime example of how we continue to dumb down as a society. The rationale is that the book contains the "N" word.

`````What these pencil necked geeks are missing is that the "N" word was an accepted way to speak at the time. The teachers could introduce the book with a lesson on this. There could be a worthwhile discussion of how the fight for civil rights continued well into the 20th century, as there were areas that forbade blacks and whites from marrying until the l960's. When Billie Holliday sang of "Strange Fruit" (hanging from the tree), it was because lynching still took place within the realm of her memory. It's not an acceptable word now, and we no longer practice slavery, but these are artificats of the past that we must not hide from. We cannot white-wash it as easily as that picket fence the kids were tasked with painting in the book.

`````Changing this work of art is not going to change the fact that some people hate. I read this book as a child and I never called anybody by that ugly moniker. Likewise, I watched "Gone with The Wind" and it never clouded my judgement. I certainly did not think that every black woman spoke like Hattie McDonald. That package of Aunt Gemima syrup never convinced me that all women sported a triangular piece of material on her head and served as a cook. No---hatred is an infestation that takes hold for other reasons. It's bred in people who need to blame others for their own shortcomings.

`````The irony in all of this is that songs continue to be pumped out in which the "N" word is used; songs which will never contribute anything meaningful to our culture or be remembered 100 years from now as this book is. So, where are the cries of censorship? Why aren't they bleeping those songs and sticking in another, more acceptable word in its place?

`````It scares me to think of what classic might be next. In school we also read "The Grapes of Wrath" (grade ten). I recall Steinbeck using the word Okie, which was very derogatory during the dustbowl era. Are we going to hunt for gypsies and replace it with travellers? I guess almost every cowboy and Indian tale has got to go.

`````This angers me greatly, not only for the disregard to the artists, but for the wasted opportunities. When I think of the fantastic teachers I had and the tie-ins to history that they would have incorporated. This is such a shame.