Politically correctness is insane
July 03, 2013
As most Americans find the scandal built around something Paula Deen said over two decades ago to be hypocritical foolishness, I am reminded of one of the classic examples of the same kind of politically correct hogwash. Only a few days ago, I was talking to a recent high school graduate and asked her what she knew about Mark Twain. Basically she had heard the name but that was it.

Several years ago, the books of Twain, one of Americas greatest writers, were removed from many school libraries because in his books, he used the N word. No one bothered to mention that Twain was a lifelong abolitionist who actively spoke out for the rights of the black man and fought against slavery.

This first came to my knowledge when I watched a movie about one of Twain's lesser known books by the name of Pudd'nhead Wilson. The evil of slavery was clearly revealed in this work.

In Twain's better known works, he was more subtle. He wrote stories that both the pro-slavery and the anti-slavery folks would enjoy. In Huckleberry Finn, one of the main characters was Jim, a slave and Huck's close friend. When Jim sought to escape to freedom, Huck assisted him. The readers on both sides of the slavery issue found themselves hoping that Jim would succeed in his quest for freedom. This was Mark Twain's intention. He was generating sympathy for the slave.

In visiting Twain's Connecticut home, I was surprised to learn that Twain's next door neighbor was none other than Harriett Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Toms Cabin. Twain and Stowe worked together in their efforts against slavery. The books of both authors contained the "N" word. But whereas Stowe's Uncle Toms Cabin was a blatant attack against slavery, Twain's works were more subtle, trying to open the eyes of readers who weren't thinking about slavery one way or the other.

Stowe's works are honored in our schools. Twain's are not. What asinine foolishness.

This is only one of many examples of how politically correct insanity has robbed the younger generation of a good education in favor of political extremism. God have mercy on us!

Commentary by Steve Casey, Stonewall, LA

Editor's note: for commentary about Paula Deen go here.

Go Back

Comments

You are currently not logged in. If you wish to post a comment, please first log in.

 ThreadAuthorViewsRepliesLast Post Date

No comments yet.