Twain Troubles, PC Problems

Fox News ^ | Monday, June 30, 2003 | Scott Norvell

[presidio9]

William Robinson, 18, claims a teacher at Cousino High School in Warren used the word when reading from the book and during later discussions about it. He said he was offended. Robinson's mother, Theda Harris, said the family plans to file a lawsuit against the district. A spokesman for the district pointed out that the slur is in the book.

[ClearCase_guy]

"I think people use these terms like 'PC' or 'politically correct' as a way of cutting off what should be a legitimate discussion," said Robin Lakoff, a linguistics professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

He then continued: "People who use terms like 'PC' should be shouted down so that we can continue our legitimate discussion in peace, without dealing without any so-called 'dissenting' view."

[Pearls Before Swine]

"People on the political right who are saying 'PC' are really saying, 'Shut up, we don't want to hear about this anymore.'"

He's got that right -- Shut up, we don't want to hear about this anymore! The part he has wrong is his assertion that it is a deliberate plan to "cut off debate." Just shut up, I don't want to "be engaged."

[yureikumaTN]

Ummm.... Where was the Puke&Hurl alert??

[Joe Brower]

That reminds me; I need to call my lawyer about suing VH1 for last night's episode of "I Love the 80s", where they featured the show "The Jeffersons" and the word "honky" was used multiple times. I was deeply offended, and have experience severe emotional trauma as a result of this blatant exhibition of racism.

I figure if I play my cards right, I'll be retiring to a mansion on the Gulf Coast.

[Stentor]

I thought that someone couldn't get their scanner working.

[FreedomPoster]

glad I wasn't the only one.

[BADROTOFINGER]

I watched The Bad News Bears (uncut) recently and was floored by the language from some of the kids in that flick. Laughed my butt off too. Especially the line from one of the kids after Tatum O'Neal's character was let on the team. If you have seen it, you know what line I am talking about...JFK

[Portnoy]

family in Michigan has filed a formal complaint against a high school teacher for reading a racial slur from the text of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, reports the Detroit Free Press.

If I was the judge in this case, I'd make the parents write a 200 word essay detailing Twain's use of the N-Word in Huck Finn and the point being made by the OMISSION of the N-Word in the final chapter. Then I'd tell them to quit wasting taxpayers time and money....

Who's next to light the flames?

[Henrietta]

""I think people use these terms like 'PC' or 'politically correct' as a way of cutting off what should be a legitimate discussion," said Robin Lakoff, a linguistics professor at the University of California at Berkeley. "

No, we're tired of being told by a tiny minority of racist whiners that nothing we say is free of the taint of so-called "white rascism" and that we should get a whole new vocabulary so that we don't offend any racial group. PC speech is used to silence differing viewpoints by telling those who don't agree with the PC bullsh*t that we are all evil rascists.

What we're really saying when we complain about politically correct speech is that you should take your politically correct speech and shove it up your politically correct butt.

[BADROTOFINGER]

you forgot the "and now we got a GIRL!!!"...jfk

[presidio9]

Stole the quote offa IMDB.com.

[HEY4QDEMS]

I thought that someone couldn't get their scanner working.

Me too.

[SwinneySwitch]

""The queer community as a group gets discriminated against so much, we don't need it from within our own ranks." LOL! Can WE call them QUEER or is that only in New Zeland?

[Ichneumon]

I thought that someone couldn't get their scanner working.

Me too. Time to do the secret computer nerd handshake...

[presidio9]

And I'm sure someone has already complained to the moderator about my post, but it is ridiculous that we have reached a point in society where we can have a discussion about an offensive word without actually using the word.

[ArrogantBustard]

You're not the only total geek here who thought that...

[StriperSniper]

VH1 for last night's episode

they featured the show "The Jeffersons" and the word "honky" was used

I was deeply offended, and have experience severe emotional trauma

When are they running that again so I can get in on this! VH1 has lots of money!