[Wondergirl]

But yes my wife was "shocked" we have all of these books

Does that mean she wants offensive words taken out of books? I wouldn't hurt her for the world, but Twain put that word in for a reason (and he was as offended by it as I am). The important thing is that we all, including students, need to talk about the word and what it meant back then during Huck's time. (I grew up in NC during the '40s and '50s and saw the prejudice up close.)

[Wondergirl]

edit . The question really is ;should it be part of a high school curriculum ?

Yes!!

[tomder55]

I don't consider this censorship. Edited or revised texts are frequently used in the school systems.

But Huck Finn frequently gets outright banned from schools because of the original text . You tell me which is worse ?

[Wondergirl]

I don't consider this censorship. Edited or revised texts are frequently used in the school systems.

There are edited and revised texts and there are edited and revised texts.

But Huck Finn frequently gets outright banned from schools because of the original text .

And it shouldn't be.

[ebaines]

Actually Huck Finn was grade school and middle school reading,.

Really? Are you sure you're not thinking of "Tom Sawyer?" I do remember reading Tom Sawyer in 6th grade, but Huck Finn was in 10th grade. I would say that middle school is way to young to understand the social commentary in "Huck Finn," and it would be watered down to be merely a story about two guys on an adventure.

[Wondergirl]

If you're hard-up for reading material, here you go --

ALA | Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century

[tomder55]

There are edited and revised texts and there are edited and revised texts.

And it shouldn't be.

Quote:
But Huck Finn frequently gets outright banned from schools because of the original text .

And it shouldn't be.


But it is... that's the reality .It is one of the most banned books in America . Schools systems won't bring this worthy book into their curiculum.

But the story is a story of tolerance and should be taught . This revision doesn't change the story or the lessons in the book . I don't see it as a great harm at all.

[RickJ]

Well do you ??

BBC News - Furore over 'censored' edition of Huckleberry Finn

All this PCness never ceases to amaze me..

This preceded the Huck Fib story: BBC News - Why are parents banning school books?

I heard this on the news yesterday. It's bunk!

This sort of PC gets my sphincter hairs in a knot!

[smoothy]

I do see it as a harm... because they are changing what is actually in the book to someone's politically correct idea of what SHOULD be in the book. That changes the Authors intent. And at some point these certain groups that are now hyper sensitive and getting their panties in a knot about anyone other then THEM using a certain work will see how stupid they look when they still use it themselves constantly (yet think nothing about using slurs against any other group as well),. then people are going to never have read the book as it was originally published.

These are usually the same people that argue we should give the southwest back to the spanish south of the border... like THEY are the ones that collonised Spain, and not came here FROM spain and took it off THAT bunch of idians first. ( Long list, Inca, Axtercs Xapotecs etc) None of them had spanish blood. Before the Spaniards arrived. And yeah... a large percentage of them have spanish blood, not pure Indian (native american or whatever you with to call it this week) ancestry who not unlike here... are now a minority on their own ancestoral lands.

Just because they stole something 200 years before we stole something doesn't make it right for them and wriong for us.

[NeedKarma]

This sort of PC gets my sphincter hairs in a knot!

Yet this website censors words. :p

[smoothy]

Yet this website censors words. :p

Most websites do... but none of us are on Par with Mark Twain or Willaim Shakesphere... besides there are ownership rules with websites.

What we type here isn't legally or literally our words or property, they become those of the site owners. Under copywright laws. Talk to a lawyer... they will back that up, I have.

Yes... I know a thing or two about running websites. Nearly a decades worth in fact. Not as a mod... not even just as an Admin... but as a superadmin at the direct server acess level. Where you tweak the PHP code. And that's not my day job.

[NeedKarma]

Yes....I know a thing or two about running websites.

I'm running a very large one right now!

[RickJ]

**** *** **** ***** ****!
:)

[NeedKarma]

Rick,

[RickJ]

I must clarify.

Yes, we do censor words here because we are not a book or other published material.

We are a website were people can choose to join, read or not.

A published book is a different thing altogether. It is the same in that people can choose to read it or not, but a book is a book. If it's published, then it should be "as is" unless the author agrees to the edits... period.

Removing words from an author's work(s) without the authors approval is ludicrous.

... unless you're in a country where this sort of thing happens: I click my heels, raise my hand and shout Heil Hitler!

[NeedKarma]

Why do people always invoke Hitler for issues they don't agree with? I never understood that.

[smoothy]

I'm running a very large one right now!

Doesn't that make it awkward to stand up at the office? :D

[RickJ]

Why do people always invoke Hitler for issues they don't agree with? I never understood that.

Why not? He is the [one of many, actually] epitome of a bad dude that duped so many into following him for a bad purpose.

Lemmings are bunk. Those that followed Hitler et al are a bunch of stupid Lemmings.

Thankfully most of them that are still living agree.

And here we are in the good old U S of A where so many Lemmings are willing to give up so much for the benefit of... of... of what, I do not know.

[NeedKarma]

Doesn't that make it awkward to stand up at the office?

Hehe. I play a good straight man.
<cue the gay jokes>

[RickJ]

Ok you f******g f****t, bring it on. Come over to my house and we'll duke it out over a couple of cold ones! :p :p