Huckleberry Finn-ing novels, the Constitution, what next?
Mark Twain (AP)
Editors of a new "Huckleberry Finn" replaced the N-word with "slave." Meanwhile incoming Republican congressmen did not read parts of the Constitution.
The reading of the Constitution cost taxpayers about $1.1 million, so I am not suggesting it needed to go on longer to include every past iteration. Nor are the two scenarios the same. However complaints have been made that the changes and omissions are whitewashing parts of American history. First they came for the Southern boy, then they came for the Constitution.
On last night's "Colbert Report," Colbert came out in support of that very idea and suggested the job had only just begun. He kicked off the idea on Twitter:
It's great that they took the N-word out of "Huckleberry Finn." Now get to work on "Moby D-Word."
Stephen Colbert
StephenAtHome
What other exceptions could be made for the rule? Any thing goes: historical documents, books, movies, songs. What needs to be changed? Tweet #huckfinn with your suggestion or leave it the comments.
The Post's Sam Sanders wants to go see "The Hoo-ha Monologues." Alexandra Petri thinks all the "Big Brothers" in "1984" ought to be replaced with "Mark Zuckerberg." I'm going to ask that every song of
What do you think?
By
Melissa Bell
| January 6, 2011; 1:38 PM ET
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Teachers' caution over introducing offensive words to young kids is understandable; English professor Alan Gribben and publisher NewSouth Books' attempt to capitalize on it is deplorable. Join the Facebook Protest Group:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Gribben-NewSouth-Books-Huck-Finn/154431531272953
Posted by: mattmchugh_dot_com | January 6, 2011 4:44 PM | Report abuse
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