G'won, say it with me.

Come on into the den.  The fire is low cuz the weather is just beautiful.  And me I've been thinking about the whole act of white washing history.

I like that term, white washing.  Because it is what is happening.  The folks in power (white folks) who are ashamed of parts of their history, either ban it or edit it.  And this whole Huck Finn thing is like that.

I know that's not the actual genesis of the term but that's my take on it.

So here's the thing, I've listened to a couple different interviews with the English prof who edited this new version that takes out the 'bad' words, and his intentions are sound.  He wants the actual issues of the book to be taught, so why not take out the offensive bits?  Seems fine.  But I dunno.  It just seems to ring a bit hollow for me.

Cuz here's the thing.  I'm kind of sick of other people assuming that exposure to bad ideas will somehow make someone want to try them out.  My take is if someone is going to think a bad idea is worth doing, chances are they were going to do a bad idea anyways.  But that's not really my problem.

My problem is the word itself.  What word?  Naw, I'm not dancing around it.  I'm just setting this little part up as a warning.  I'm going to be liberally using racial slurs.  If the mere use of them offends you, then step away from the blog and head on out to less controversial topics. 

Nigger and Injun.  Those were the two words changed.  To Slave and Indian.  And I just don't get it.  Well I kinda do.  Let me tell you a story.

My sister is a post colonial theorist.  And we were at my brother's place for a party and I heard her say 'That word is just so offensive that I never want to hear it.'  And I went 'What word?'  'The N-word.'  'What nigger?'  THWACK!  I get punched.  'Don't say it!  It's a horrible dirty word!'  'Nigger is not a horrible dirty word.  It's just a word.  Intent has to be considered.'  *THWACK!*  I get punched harder.  'Don't say it around me!'  'Why?'  'Because I find it truly offensive.'  'Ok fair enough.  But just to be fair here sis, I _hate_ getting punched.  And I've told you that a dozen times.  But I'm unclear as to why it's such an offensive word?  I mean I know why but what I don't understand why it needs to be just outright removed.  It's a valid term and ignoring or banning it's usage just gives it way more impact than it deserves.'

And that's kind of my point.  You want the word to be understood, teach it.  Say it in the proper context.  Twain wasn't using the word to validate it, but instead to demonstrate the dialect of the time and place.  Ignoring it doesn't make the word go away.  Instead it builds up a taboo about it that can now be abused.  You know you can use it as a weapon. 

And I'm all for the empowerment of taking an insulting term and owning it as the marginalized group.  I get that.  Fag, dyke, nigga, all kinds of examples can be made to demonstrate this.  What I don't get is how this suddenly means to use the term in different contexts suddenly becomes a taboo.

Other than, as is being demonstrated, to edit a horrible part of history.  But folks, what goes for the individual goes for the society.  You want to fix a problem, you gotta own it and make it your own.  You have to be able to say aloud, 'The term nigger, used in a pejorative manner to describe black people, is an antiquated term that demonstrates past ideas of segregation and marginalization.'

You even have to be able to joke about it.  You have to be able to diffuse the word's power by recognizing it for what it is, a left over from bad ideas and bad actions. 

So c'mon now, say it with me.  Nigger.  It's a horrible word.  That still requires thought and understanding.  Imagine that, understanding our history, even the crappy parts.