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What's your take on this? (20 posts)
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supporter graphic  tripod2000
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The Grand Daddy
Click for profile 		http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12126700

Not sure I agree with changing the language of the times. Don't know the book personally so don't know if it is satirical or not.

Quite interested how other people feel about this though.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 6:50 AM
*NOA*
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Click for profile 		I read this on CBC.

I think it is a load of bullshit what they are doing. I'm in no way a racist, but this book is represented by the time frame in which it was written. It, in a way, is a part of history as it shows the Language of the time, and shows how black people were treated. You wouldn't go through a history text book put smiley faces over the guns and weaponry used in war photos would you?

Sorry if that makes no sense, but this makes me ANGRY.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 11:39 AM
supporter graphic  Un-Jelli
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Click for profile 		Makes me angry too! If anything it should be included, and then the extra hardships of african-americans should be highlighted when studying this book in school. I'm not suggesting we read aloud, or anything, but kids know this word anyway, better they read a piece of literature and learn the context, than they sugar coat the story.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 12:25 PM
Add_Ellen
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Click for profile 		It doesn't make me angry, in fact I don't really care. I do, however, think it seems a bit pointless. It might de-contextualise (is that even a word?) the book a bit. Then again, all of the themes and the ideas remain exactly the same, so maybe it doesn't. Perhaps removing the n word opens it up to audiences that it wouldn't have been given to, like kids in school? (I mean it seems to lay the n word pretty thick).

Hmm, unconvincing. I didn't even convince myself. It's a word, in a context, and it should probably have been left alone. I JUST CAN'T CARE!

[This post edited by Add_Ellen on 06 January 2011 ]

quote / posted 06 January 2011 1:47 PM
MissWartooth
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Click for profile 		People have always viewed it as a children's story and now that its no longer appropriate for pliable minds the simple thing to do is shelve it for later grades, college, or reading at home where parents, who should be the ones instilling values, can explain.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 2:42 PM
Sosse
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Click for profile 		I, too, think it is kind of stupid. In my opinion this has nothing to do with racism, but with history. And as Anjali said, it actually is a good possibility to pick those words up and to speak about how things have changed and what was going wrong in history.
I don't find any simile at the moment, but it's a bit like denying what has happend in history (I think the word slave, as used as substitute, is too neutral and doesn't fit in the historical context - in case that pupils should be deterred by what has happend). (I hope you understand what i mean ;) )
quote / posted 06 January 2011 3:10 PM
sweetpealv123
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Click for profile 		Stupid, and makes me kind of angry. They removed objectionable language so that people can be more "comfortable" when they read it. Well, duh. Nobody likes being reminded of either how their race enslaved and then continued to systematically oppress minorities, or of how their own race was treated. You can't just remove the words to whitewash history and make yourself feel better.

The history of racism and the majority of the US's history is not "comfortable." People need to get over it, accept that, and deal with it.

Yeah, the book is probably *not* suitable for younger readers. However, that is not because little children "can't handle" racist words, it's that they are probably too young (and not well-educated enough by their parents) to understand the implications and history behind those words. Saving the book for older students, with the original language, means those students are more mature and better equipped to deal with an uncomfortable subject and to attempt to have a discussion about it and learn something.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 3:26 PM
Add_Ellen
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Click for profile 		Ok, having read the last few posts, I agree! Down with this sort of thing!
quote / posted 06 January 2011 4:26 PM
MackLovesChachi
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Click for profile 		Boo censorship.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 4:57 PM
LemonDaisy
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Click for profile 		Okay it's not a "they" it's a "he" who edited the book. Does no one click through to links anymore? It was all over NPR the last 2 days and I feel bad for the guy. Not that I agree with him 100% but he is getting far more shit for it than he deserves, in my opinion.
quote / posted 06 January 2011 6:36 PM
LemonDaisy
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quoting: tripod2000
Don't know the book personally so don't know if it is satirical or not. .


Are you kidding me? Why did you even post?
quote / posted 06 January 2011 6:37 PM
supporter graphic  tripod2000
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Click for profile 		It seemed interesting. I tried reading Twain as a kid and found it boring so I returned to reading Kipling and London instead.

The issue is what interested me and as I can't really have a strong opinion on the book it interested me what yours are.
quote / posted 07 January 2011 12:32 AM
sweetpealv123
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quoting: LemonDaisy
Okay it's not a "they" it's a "he" who edited the book. Does no one click through to links anymore? It was all over NPR the last 2 days and I feel bad for the guy. Not that I agree with him 100% but he is getting far more shit for it than he deserves, in my opinion.


He for the guy that removed it, they for everybody who's going to try to get the edited version used in schools instead.
quote / posted 07 January 2011 12:49 AM
supporter graphic  Dante
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quoting: sweetpealv123

He for the guy that removed it, they for everybody who's going to try to get the edited version used in schools instead.


Can I get the edited version of that?[/being a jerk]

I don't really have an opinion that doesn't mirror the opinions above. I see some conflict in the book being literally relevant and then changing it to suit the times.

I think if they were going to go to length of editing the racism out, they would go one step forward and edit out the boring too. Shorter and shorter attention spans are a far more dangerous thing to our youth than the N-word.
quote / posted 07 January 2011 7:50 AM
my#11
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Click for profile 		I really dislike it when books are kicked off school reading lists. I read Twain when I was in 7th grade (11 or 12 years old) and it was age appropriate. Granted, I was also given To Kill A Mockingbird in 4th grade (8 or 9ish) and I read and understood that. TKAM was studied in a Lit class much later and I gained more of an appreciation for it but I think banning something for "age appropriateness" is stupid because age appropriate can change drastically from student to student. That's not to say I'd hand Palahniuk to a 7 year old but Twain and Lee have been used for years in classrooms and are great examples of American culture. I'm pretty sure that most of the novels I read senior year are on banned lists in some schools which is really pathetic considering I live in a damn conservative area.
quote / posted 07 January 2011 11:02 PM
sweetpealv123
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Click for profile 		So I've been reading a million posts on this, and while my answer remains the same, I'd like to add that I really do see why edited books could be useful (but, since the editing was spearheaded by a white man, I'd rather the original just be taught properly in a decent environment). Whenever we did racist books like this in high school, it was always "Oh, giggle giggle, can't say those words, they're bad!" with a healthy dose of (at least for me) the "Gee, isn't it nice we're so enlightened as to not treat those black people like this anymore?" attitude. I mean, obviously it wasn't obvert, but I don't remember grasping the implications of n----r very well even then, because I never had (and never will) experienced racism.

So yeah, save the book for older students. Have shittons of discussions on race relations.

And read a decent book that isn't about racism, but rather black people who are actual people.
quote / posted 08 January 2011 12:09 AM
-Jory-
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Click for profile 		Screw it, censor errthing. Except janet jackson nipple, that we need more of in the spirit of equality.
quote / posted 08 January 2011 2:09 PM
Tiresias
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quoting: -Jory-
Screw it, censor errthing. Except janet jackson nipple, that we need more of in the spirit of equality.

QFT
quote / posted 08 January 2011 2:44 PM
my#11
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Click for profile 		One of the classes I'm taking this term is Literature in the (American) South and I'm sure this topic will come up. I'm looking forward to watching how it plays out in a southern, conservative base.
quote / posted 08 January 2011 6:54 PM
supporter graphic  tripod2000
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The Grand Daddy
Click for profile 		See we did Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry in school and I'm sure that said the dreaded N word - Ncake. It was just seen as an awful part of the hick harrying.
quote / posted 09 January 2011 9:44 AM

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