Redacting Racism: Edit of Classic Children's Book Hexes Publisher

[sysop]

A German publisher is being accused of excessive political correctness for removing controversial language from a classic children's book, sparking debate about how to handle outdated and offensive words in the genre.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-878000.html

[billcstf04]

I learned English when I was 12 and one of the early books I was given to read was Huckleberry Finn, since that time, the book has been excoriated for the use of the word niger in the name of one of the protagonists. I remember reading the book and thinking not much about the word and at one point asking my father, the only native English speaker in the family what it meant and he had no problem explaining that it was a pejorative word used for people of the negro race and that I should not use it. So I have never used it and do not think it damaged me. Methinks "the lady does protest too much"
Bill

[Inglenda2]

What a load of rubbish is being pushed on to normal people by those who claim to be anti racist! Time and time again a small minority of people believe they have the right to tell others what they may say, read, think or believe.

The word Neger = Negro, has been used in the German language for hundreds of years. It is in no way an insult. It is taken from a Latin word which means black, so its use for other persons with dark skins is formally wrong, but that does not in itself make the word an insult. The expression “Black Power” also does not represent the true colour of those who love to use it, they are mostly brown.

There is an old English saying, which rightly says, not what we say, but how we say it, counts. The words themselves are quite innocent.

A few examples would show how true this adage is. For Many years, in England, one of the worst expressions a child could use to annoy another was to call him/her a “German Jew.”
In Germany, citizens from Wales and Scotland are often upset, when one refers to them as being English.
An Austrian in Britain must, because of his language, expect to be mistaken for a German, something many strongly object to.

Looking into the German language deeply, one becomes even more surprised to see how words have unusual forms and are therefore just as wrong as the word “Neger” might appear when used in the wrong context. Why is a girl referred to as an object “das Mädchen” whereas a table is a man “der Tisch” and a jug becomes a woman “die Kanne.” To call a girl an object, is possibly just as offensive as to call someone with brown skin – black.

Should all of these words really be banned from use? What do we do then with the Jews? To call them Israelis is just as incorrect especially if they have never lived in that country.

Unfortunately it would seem, that a number of people have nothing better to do than to look for insults where none are. Whether for business reasons, or as a hobby, it appears they love to find reasons to accuse others of verbal abuse. In view of the much greater problems which exist within the human-race, it might be to the interest of us all, when governments and publishers do not give way to such childishness. Please grow up!

[black&cape]

Yes, the artistic integrity of a historical work should remain intact. But what a golden opportunity it presents to enlighten little European minds on the despicable racist behaviour of their societies through the ages. Upon all the discrimination, violent prosecution and oppression, as well as the shameless exploitation of other peoples, they also gave them derogatory names to add insult to injury and show their absolute contempt. By all means leave these terms as the author expressed them, but put them in their historical perspective, even for children, no, especially for children.