In America – as elsewhere – free speech is confined to the dead. — Mark Twain

So they are planning to remove the the “N” word from Huckleberry Finn. Samuel Clemens is rolling in his grave, I’m sure.

On one hand, this is not that big of a deal because the novel is in the public domain and, as such, the same freedom that allows these arrogant, misguided nitwits to revise Twain also makes it impossible for them to censor all editions of the book.

On the other hand, it’s an assault on art, common sense and education. Just as you wouldn’t say that a piece of costume jewelry has the same value as real jewelry, you can’t just trample on the creation of an artist and expect your perversion of it to have equal value as art or as an educational tool.

Here’s the deal: The “N” word — the word “nigger”, offensive though it be, is a word that carries the weight of our history. An ugly, albeit true history that cannot be buried or denied. One of the key purposes of great art is to illuminate those truths, however brutal and bring them to light. When you attempt to whitewash the language of that truth from our art, you do a disservice to everyone.