...this reminds me of Rich Lowry's most recent column for the National Review, where he channels his preschool self to brag about America's complete and undiminished greatness. The similarity comes in the mutual urge to purge the ugliness from American history. Jim Crow and neo-slavery makes Lowry uncomfortable, so he glosses over it as he spells out America's unadulterated raditude. Likewise, "nigger" makes people feel bad, so it must go, according to NewSouth and Alan Gribben.Patting yourself on the back means you've only got one hand available to do something useful.
But erasing "nigger" from Huckleberry Finn—or ignoring our failures—doesn't change anything. It doesn't provide racial enlightenment, or justice, and it won't shield anyone from the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination. All it does is feed the American aversion to history and reflection. Which is a shame. If there's anything great about this country, it's in our ability to account for and overcome our mistakes. Peddling whitewashed ignorance diminishes America as much as it does our intellect.
As Xmastime fan Sully said earlier today: "Where is the humility? Where is the dissatisfaction, even disgust at times, that leads to improvement?"
2 comments:
I disagree with Sully's comparison of those who alter classic literature with patriots waving 'we're number one' fingers. Patriots are true blue fans. Not necessarily ignorant of their team's shortcomings or failures, perhaps just less apt to want to fan the flames of misery in the face of a child. While outwardly proud of their country, some are sensitive enough to feel shamed by Twain's use of the N word, not so much because of it's historical connotations but out of a deep sensitivity to innocent children who could be offended, yes hurt and perhaps damaged by the use of that word, especially as assigned reading, a classic which corrupts the heart of a child who when faced with the indignity of it, very well may develop insensitivities himself out of sense of self-preservation. Face it, very few children, let alone adults have grasped the concept of all men having been created equal. Some learn this through real life rejection such as those young people who have participated in high school massacres. Real people are more important than litereral accuracy when it comes to the use of potentially harmful words. Words are life and death. To teach that the use of this N word is acceptable based on the fact that it might have been acceptable at the time, promotes the idea that sometimes it's okay...and it ain't. Mark Twain's novel comes to life in the minds of these kids and while the N word can be considered 'historically correct' it is crucial that children ARE protected from injurious words which directly impact early feelings of self worth and stir up feelings of contempt. When properly approached children of all colors can appreciate Mark Twain as much as...uh...Roots.
Soapbox off.
As despicable as the word is, I say leave it in. Use it as a starting point to discuss its usage and previous attitudes--which, while diminished, still presently exist--about race. But cleaning up the book without discussion of why it was there in the first place is lame.
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