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	<title>Comments on: &#8220;Huckleberry Finn&#8221; has the word nigger in it!</title>
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	<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html</link>
	<description>Rants, raves, and other geeky nonsense</description>
	<pubDate>Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:58:05 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>By: Nicole H.</title>
		<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html#comment-8</link>
		<dc:creator>Nicole H.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:48:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.steamd.net/?p=32#comment-8</guid>
		<description>Thank you so much for this. I hate the use of the word "nigger" in hateful context. But "Huck Finn" is not one of those hateful things. Mark Twain (Sam Clemens) was just using an epithet that he grew up with. An epithet can be positive, negative or neutral. I don't know why some people call for this book to be banned. If teachers would just address the issue of hurtful words with the proper amount of sensitivity most of this could be avoided. People may say this book is racist but I fire back that Mark Twain wasn't sugar-coating slavery. He was embracing it for the evil that it is. Harriet Beecher Stowe also addressed this in her book "Uncle Tom's Cabin." My english teacher is guilty of trying to get around the word. She'll never say "nigger" and even reprimanded me when I was discussing the book and mentioned the word. She threatened me with a detention, so I shut up. I went to talk to my principal about it, but he wouldn't even bring up the subject; instead he asked me how I was doing in school. It saddens me what people will deny to avoid the truth. The truth is this: just because you don't want to accept something, doesn't mean it goes away! I'd like to tell everyone that this book is not racist; it WOULD be racist if Twain hadn't addressed the issue of slavery head on. Twain was a great and wise man who spent a lot of time trying to speak to people about slavery without being blatantly obvious about it. If he had been obvious, no one would've read his book. I sympathize with all those ignorant people who think something is racist because it has racial slurs in it. Read more into it, you might find that it's very accepting.
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		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you so much for this. I hate the use of the word &#8220;nigger&#8221; in hateful context. But &#8220;Huck Finn&#8221; is not one of those hateful things. Mark Twain (Sam Clemens) was just using an epithet that he grew up with. An epithet can be positive, negative or neutral. I don&#8217;t know why some people call for this book to be banned. If teachers would just address the issue of hurtful words with the proper amount of sensitivity most of this could be avoided. People may say this book is racist but I fire back that Mark Twain wasn&#8217;t sugar-coating slavery. He was embracing it for the evil that it is. Harriet Beecher Stowe also addressed this in her book &#8220;Uncle Tom&#8217;s Cabin.&#8221; My english teacher is guilty of trying to get around the word. She&#8217;ll never say &#8220;nigger&#8221; and even reprimanded me when I was discussing the book and mentioned the word. She threatened me with a detention, so I shut up. I went to talk to my principal about it, but he wouldn&#8217;t even bring up the subject; instead he asked me how I was doing in school. It saddens me what people will deny to avoid the truth. The truth is this: just because you don&#8217;t want to accept something, doesn&#8217;t mean it goes away! I&#8217;d like to tell everyone that this book is not racist; it WOULD be racist if Twain hadn&#8217;t addressed the issue of slavery head on. Twain was a great and wise man who spent a lot of time trying to speak to people about slavery without being blatantly obvious about it. If he had been obvious, no one would&#8217;ve read his book. I sympathize with all those ignorant people who think something is racist because it has racial slurs in it. Read more into it, you might find that it&#8217;s very accepting.</p>
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		<title>By: Jeff Whitfield</title>
		<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html#comment-7</link>
		<dc:creator>Jeff Whitfield</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:49:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.steamd.net/?p=32#comment-7</guid>
		<description>I decided to allow this comment for the simple reason that I don't believe in censoring anyone with an opposing viewpoint.  Problem is that there are some flaws to this person's opposition. Here's a quote off the Anti NA website from a speech entitled "Hopes For A More Perfect Union (even though its far from)" by John Maneson:

&lt;blockquote&gt;It is close I feel my brothers, when the state of the union must see and be part of an end to racism! It is now on my own time and 5th year as president, and creator of the Anti National Allance of the United States of America that I restate my unchanged goals of the future to a secret society of men and women who have discovered our cause a re-enlightenment. The date is so close now to a brave mans date, one who has a date that is an established holiday among the public of the United States. He has worked hard and shed both tears and the reddest blood upon this earth for this cause! He is one who dedicated his entire life to an end, this end we must see together! We must work together! Should we allow such an alliance as the national alliance tear down all of our great work to a new direction? The response should be and forever be "No!" It is now that we must rise up and fight! fight till the death! Kill the mother fuckers (National Alliance), their dreams, and their beliefs! We must fight! We must fight for King [Martin Luther King Jr.]! We must fight for the end of racism! We must fight for Peace!&lt;/blockquote&gt;

This person is a member of Anti NA and claims to want to end racism, get people to work together and fight for what they believe in, fight for peace, and...umm...fight till the death?  Kill the mother fuckers that are the National Alliance?  Talk about context!

What I am talking about here is the fact that so many books, TV shows, movies, and other forms of media have stories about racism.  As such, they use words that within a certain context denote racism.  Are we to believe that the only people who can use these words are the writers and actors themselves?  Do we not have a right to discuss these things in the open?  This is history we're talking about!  If everyone was required to shutup about it and "let it die" then we would also be required to burn every copy of Huckleberry Finn and every copy of the movie Schinder's List, just to name a few.

Yes, words are powerful.  But it's not just the words themselves that have the power.  A word in and of itself has no real power.  Even a loaded gun is essentially powerless if it just sits there.  It's not till someone picks it up and puts their finger on the trigger till becomes a very powerful weapon.  The wielder of a hurtful word is the one with the power.  The context of the word, where they decide to aim it, is what denotes whether the word is good or bad.

Now, I don't know if the person who gave this speech was kidding or not, but saying that you want to kill a group of people...that's a pretty powerful thing to say.  Makes saying the word "nigger" to a school kid while talking about Huckleberry Finn not seem so bad.  That kind of talk goes completely against what Dr. King's vision and philosophy were.  You don't fight racisim by aiming to destroy your enemies.  You face your enemies, understand them, love them, and talk about it.  What you preach could damn near be considered reverse discrimination, which is something I hate almost as much as racism.  It's ignorant and stupid, plain and simple.
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I decided to allow this comment for the simple reason that I don&#8217;t believe in censoring anyone with an opposing viewpoint.  Problem is that there are some flaws to this person&#8217;s opposition. Here&#8217;s a quote off the Anti NA website from a speech entitled &#8220;Hopes For A More Perfect Union (even though its far from)&#8221; by John Maneson:</p>
<blockquote><p>It is close I feel my brothers, when the state of the union must see and be part of an end to racism! It is now on my own time and 5th year as president, and creator of the Anti National Allance of the United States of America that I restate my unchanged goals of the future to a secret society of men and women who have discovered our cause a re-enlightenment. The date is so close now to a brave mans date, one who has a date that is an established holiday among the public of the United States. He has worked hard and shed both tears and the reddest blood upon this earth for this cause! He is one who dedicated his entire life to an end, this end we must see together! We must work together! Should we allow such an alliance as the national alliance tear down all of our great work to a new direction? The response should be and forever be &#8220;No!&#8221; It is now that we must rise up and fight! fight till the death! Kill the mother fuckers (National Alliance), their dreams, and their beliefs! We must fight! We must fight for King [Martin Luther King Jr.]! We must fight for the end of racism! We must fight for Peace!</p></blockquote>
<p>This person is a member of Anti NA and claims to want to end racism, get people to work together and fight for what they believe in, fight for peace, and&#8230;umm&#8230;fight till the death?  Kill the mother fuckers that are the National Alliance?  Talk about context!</p>
<p>What I am talking about here is the fact that so many books, TV shows, movies, and other forms of media have stories about racism.  As such, they use words that within a certain context denote racism.  Are we to believe that the only people who can use these words are the writers and actors themselves?  Do we not have a right to discuss these things in the open?  This is history we&#8217;re talking about!  If everyone was required to shutup about it and &#8220;let it die&#8221; then we would also be required to burn every copy of Huckleberry Finn and every copy of the movie Schinder&#8217;s List, just to name a few.</p>
<p>Yes, words are powerful.  But it&#8217;s not just the words themselves that have the power.  A word in and of itself has no real power.  Even a loaded gun is essentially powerless if it just sits there.  It&#8217;s not till someone picks it up and puts their finger on the trigger till becomes a very powerful weapon.  The wielder of a hurtful word is the one with the power.  The context of the word, where they decide to aim it, is what denotes whether the word is good or bad.</p>
<p>Now, I don&#8217;t know if the person who gave this speech was kidding or not, but saying that you want to kill a group of people&#8230;that&#8217;s a pretty powerful thing to say.  Makes saying the word &#8220;nigger&#8221; to a school kid while talking about Huckleberry Finn not seem so bad.  That kind of talk goes completely against what Dr. King&#8217;s vision and philosophy were.  You don&#8217;t fight racisim by aiming to destroy your enemies.  You face your enemies, understand them, love them, and talk about it.  What you preach could damn near be considered reverse discrimination, which is something I hate almost as much as racism.  It&#8217;s ignorant and stupid, plain and simple.</p>
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		<title>By: Antinausa</title>
		<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html#comment-6</link>
		<dc:creator>Antinausa</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:05:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.steamd.net/?p=32#comment-6</guid>
		<description>oh my, where is this world coming to? why? I ask why? why must there be so much racism? The anti na does not back you... We believe in all fairness that that boy should have not been singled out in that classroom. but we understand your thinking so let us correct it. We are professional when it comes to racism. The actions were racist since the boy was singled out, not the use of the word. No racial words should have been brought up at all to keep the peace. So please do not drag on this story, let it die along with all of the hatred attached, and relax and focus on how you can stop racism. Whether it be blacks being racist to whites, or whites being racist to blacks. (or any race for that matter) Please join us in the fight against racism! join us now and we will arm you!!!

VISIT WWW.FREEWEBS.COM/ANTINAUSA

Its in your future, we feel the bravery, join us and bring attention to all races, the antinausa. Thank You

(The ANTINA [ANAP] is a secret underground program designed to stop the National Alliance)
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>oh my, where is this world coming to? why? I ask why? why must there be so much racism? The anti na does not back you&#8230; We believe in all fairness that that boy should have not been singled out in that classroom. but we understand your thinking so let us correct it. We are professional when it comes to racism. The actions were racist since the boy was singled out, not the use of the word. No racial words should have been brought up at all to keep the peace. So please do not drag on this story, let it die along with all of the hatred attached, and relax and focus on how you can stop racism. Whether it be blacks being racist to whites, or whites being racist to blacks. (or any race for that matter) Please join us in the fight against racism! join us now and we will arm you!!!</p>
<p>VISIT <a href="http://WWW.FREEWEBS.COM/ANTINAUSA" rel="nofollow">http://WWW.FREEWEBS.COM/ANTINAUSA</a></p>
<p>Its in your future, we feel the bravery, join us and bring attention to all races, the antinausa. Thank You</p>
<p>(The ANTINA [ANAP] is a secret underground program designed to stop the National Alliance)</p>
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		<title>By: Jeff Whitfield</title>
		<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html#comment-5</link>
		<dc:creator>Jeff Whitfield</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:54:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.steamd.net/?p=32#comment-5</guid>
		<description>Thanks for the comment, James!  And you're absolutely right.  I think the worst thing teachers can do is avoid the issue by attempting to desensitize students.  In doing so all you do is cause  more problems by enabling people to get pissed over something that shouldn't be that big of a deal to begin with.  George Carlin had one of the best stand-up routines about this and, although it was humorous, there is an obvious truth to what he said:

&lt;blockquote&gt;'There's a different group to get pissed off at you in this country for everything your not supposed to say. Can't say Nigger, Boogie, Jig, Jigaboo, Skinhead, Moolimoolinyon, Schvatzit, Junglebunny. Greaser, Greaseball, Dago, Guinea, Whop, Ginzo, Kike, Zebe, Heed, Yid, Mocky, Himie, Mick, Donkey, Turkey, Limey, Frog. Zip, Zipperhead, Squarehead, Crout, Hiney, Jerry, Hun, Slope, Slopehead, Chink, Gook. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those words in and of themselves. Their only words. It's the context that counts. It's the user. It's the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent. I get tired of people talking about bad words and bad language. Bullshit! It's the context that makes them good or bad. The context. That makes them good or bad. For instance, you take the word "Nigger." There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word "Nigger" in and of itself. It's the racist asshole who's using it that you ought to be concerned about. We don't mind when Richard Pryer or Eddie Murphy say it. Why? Because we know their not racist. Their Niggers! Context. Context. We don't mind their context because we know their black. Hey, I know I'm whitey, the blue-eyed devil, paddy-o, fay gray boy, honkey, mother-fucker myself. Don't bother my ass. Their only words. You can't be afraid of words that speak the truth, even if it's an unpleasant truth, like the fact that there's a bigot and a racist in every living room on every street corner in this country.'&lt;/blockquote&gt;
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks for the comment, James!  And you&#8217;re absolutely right.  I think the worst thing teachers can do is avoid the issue by attempting to desensitize students.  In doing so all you do is cause  more problems by enabling people to get pissed over something that shouldn&#8217;t be that big of a deal to begin with.  George Carlin had one of the best stand-up routines about this and, although it was humorous, there is an obvious truth to what he said:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8216;There&#8217;s a different group to get pissed off at you in this country for everything your not supposed to say. Can&#8217;t say Nigger, Boogie, Jig, Jigaboo, Skinhead, Moolimoolinyon, Schvatzit, Junglebunny. Greaser, Greaseball, Dago, Guinea, Whop, Ginzo, Kike, Zebe, Heed, Yid, Mocky, Himie, Mick, Donkey, Turkey, Limey, Frog. Zip, Zipperhead, Squarehead, Crout, Hiney, Jerry, Hun, Slope, Slopehead, Chink, Gook. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those words in and of themselves. Their only words. It&#8217;s the context that counts. It&#8217;s the user. It&#8217;s the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent. I get tired of people talking about bad words and bad language. Bullshit! It&#8217;s the context that makes them good or bad. The context. That makes them good or bad. For instance, you take the word &#8220;Nigger.&#8221; There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word &#8220;Nigger&#8221; in and of itself. It&#8217;s the racist asshole who&#8217;s using it that you ought to be concerned about. We don&#8217;t mind when Richard Pryer or Eddie Murphy say it. Why? Because we know their not racist. Their Niggers! Context. Context. We don&#8217;t mind their context because we know their black. Hey, I know I&#8217;m whitey, the blue-eyed devil, paddy-o, fay gray boy, honkey, mother-fucker myself. Don&#8217;t bother my ass. Their only words. You can&#8217;t be afraid of words that speak the truth, even if it&#8217;s an unpleasant truth, like the fact that there&#8217;s a bigot and a racist in every living room on every street corner in this country.&#8217;</p></blockquote>
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		<title>By: James</title>
		<link>http://www.steamd.net/2007/11/huckleberry-finn-has-the-word.html#comment-4</link>
		<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.steamd.net/?p=32#comment-4</guid>
		<description>Hells yea

Ive just finished reading this book for english and my teacher was doing just the opposit. She used slave everytime the word nigger came up and it made me mad that an english teacher could not bring herself to say a word. I hear it plenty of times outside of class among the black community in my school, but once we get to class its all hush hush, there is no such thing as the word nigger. Get over it, its a part of history humans must face. Its one of our many flaws that we must see so we are better able to change our ways for the future.

Its just a word get over it.
</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hells yea</p>
<p>Ive just finished reading this book for english and my teacher was doing just the opposit. She used slave everytime the word nigger came up and it made me mad that an english teacher could not bring herself to say a word. I hear it plenty of times outside of class among the black community in my school, but once we get to class its all hush hush, there is no such thing as the word nigger. Get over it, its a part of history humans must face. Its one of our many flaws that we must see so we are better able to change our ways for the future.</p>
<p>Its just a word get over it.</p>
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