However, the words are reflective of attitudes and beliefs of the day and that even in that time there were those who did not hold those ideals and could change if they did hold them. Without the words the really important idea that racism and hatred can be overcome is lost.
The idea that we need to save these classic works from being removed from the shelves of our libraries because people only see the offensive words out of context is a notable and worthy idea. However censoring them in anyway is the wrong way to save these books or any other book for that matter. Yes there will be those who read these books in their original state and will use those words in a hurtful ways. The books aren’t the cause of the hate. So hiding the harmful words and removing them from the printed world doesn’t take away the hate behind it. That we teach hate and mistrust and exploit the difference of one another is the real problem. These books do show that mindless hatred and bias can be overcome but not without showing or admitting that the problem exists.
What are we teaching by removing words as being taboo, that certain things are so offensive that we can’t talk about them? Or worse that these things don’t exist and aren’t really problems. This does lead to more intimidation and promotes the words into a higher level of hatred that they will not be said except in cases of extreme anger.
Most of us can look just beneath the surface of our society and see that the real problems still exist, and that as much progress that has been made in the practice of equality of all persons regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, etc. there is still a 100 times more progress that remains to be made. Hatred for our fellow man is alive and well just under the surface we just don’t talk about it. Segregation exists but it isn’t a government practice any more it is still a very active social one though.
The idea of removing words from a book to keep them on the selves is the slope that once done what word is next? Then what topics and ideas are then removed from the books to keep them on the shelves. Pre emptive censorship is just censorship under a different flag and stifles creativity and progress. This will not solve the problems that this hopes to address.
As good as the intentions are behind this effort this is not a good idea and should not be done. And by not a good idea I mean it is a very bad idea, incredibly bad about as bad an idea that could be thought of to address the issue they are trying to prevent. In fact preemptive censorship does the job for the censorship people gives them firmer ground to stand and eroding the principles of free speech in spoken and written form.
I intentionally left the two words out of this writing because I don’t use them in my speech and I do actively discourage their use by anyone who says them regardless of who says the word or why they are saying them. That is the more important thing that the words exist and we have to actively teach people that the use of these words and the ideas behind them are not productive to good relationships and stable societies. Taking and active stance of admitting the problem exists and teaching people to stand up to those who practice any form of bigotry there might eventually be a in road to really reducing the hate we harbor for our fellow humans. We won’t achieve it by sweeping it under the rug or preemptively censoring or outright banning books that hold words or ideas that we don’t agree with
In other news
I really should be careful about things I see the stairs and I’m not sure which way they are going
Still in other news
Well there would be still other news if could get the other news out of my head but I can’t get it out of my head. I really can’t speak more to this at all because well it would be bad …yup really bad… I really should be able to be …well different but I’ll stop because I probably just should … Yup shut the hell up Don ok I will … but… Yeah we know … , agony, woe and despair .. Shut up will you… ok I will stop picking on me you’re the one who started all of this …oh sure blame me for your… yeah, there will be more later I’m sure but I’m stopping now
Triple-ly in other news
Coming soon…aren’t you excited
Happy Birthday if it’s your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it isn’t your birthday
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