Dear Mark Twain...We're Not Gonna Let Them Mess Up Your Work!

It has come to my attention that due to racial content Mark Twain novels may possibly be re-written.  According to Bay News 9 some High Schools across the country have already banned "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" from their lesson plans.  "Banned in the USA" reports that "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the fourth most banned book in schools.  It seems as though publishers think that new  editions of his novels eliminating Twain's derogatory, and, or racist words, could increase public interest in his works.  I have seen accounts of this rubbish on the news and have read some opinions on various sites containing "Mark Twain" in the news. 

AND I SAY NO!!!

Mark Twain was an  "American" author-he loved "his America".  When he traveled abroad to lecture and to write, he missed America.  He bragged about American coffee and real cream, and the trout he would catch and eat from Lake Tahoe.  He loved fried chicken and corn pone, and he loved the American people.  Mr. Twain enjoyed his travels and the people he met, who touched his life and enabled him to share their lives with us too, through his writings.  He brought back exciting and interesting stories from Europe-stories which we have enjoyed for many years. 

***

Here are a few of the comments I have read today on the subject-

please note: they do not necessarily reflect my personal opinions on this event.

"The nerve of these losers to correct the writings of the legendary Mark Twain"

*

"Do you think he's the only one to say something derogatory???  How about Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Wright?  Have all their statements been corrected?  Of course not, because they are not White...only the Whites need to be perfect."

*

"This comes up over and over.  Obviously Twain is college material, not High School.  Without Twain's language the books do not have the meaning and gravitas that merits their study in the first place.  Leave the books alone."

*

"It would be covering up and changing the history of this Country.  He wrote of the times, and used words of the times.  They should be taken at face value of that stage in history, and the story told."

*The above are only a few of the thousands of opinions that have been circulated from the "Associated Press" and "Bay News 9".

*** 

Mark Twain did not want his memoirs released until after he had been dead 100 years.  It has been said that his memoirs have been in residence at the University of California, Berkeley.  And, recently, his autobiography came out-check with Amazon.com.  They are temporarily out of stock on this item.  See???  What's happening here is that we're bringing Mr. Twain back to life!!!    And I did vote on a poll at Bay News 9. The question was "Do you think publishers should rework Mark Twain's novels to remove what some high schools perceive as 'racist language?' " And I voted NO!  Leave well enough alone!

And let me remind these people who intend to edit Mr. Twain's writings-

Mark Twain did not invent the N word!  He was merely a product of his environment just like the rest of us,  and he lived, and lived, to tell us what it was like.  Not only was it his life, it was the lives of those many folks he broke bread with, fished with and shared stories with.  I believe he thought we could all benefit from his serious thoughts and quick humor-and, be entertained from his antics on the river through his lifelike, exciting tales of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.

***

"I have no color prejudices, nor caste prejudices, nor creed prejudices.  All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be any worse."

~Mark 'Samuel Clemens' Twain

(my hero)

Thank you for stopping by-it was not my intention to offend anyone, and I sincerely hope I didn't.  I am merely defending the rights to leave our History as History goes!

I'm gettin' off of here now-too passionate about this ridiculous event!