The "N" Word: When was it ever okay?

I can understand why they would want to ban Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, and even omit the "n" word from both books. Nowadays, the "n" word isn't quite a friendly word to use in the classroom; of course, that doesn't stop some students from using the term colloquially to address one another. But while the "n" word is infamous for many people, it is not a good reason to edit a classic book solely because it contains a woed that is unpopular today. Huck Finn is a classic, and unless they want to edit it so that people can understand it better, it should be left the way it currently is. While the "n" word is used 213 times in the book, keep in mind that most students in the classroom have probably already heard the word before. But to today's youth, the "n" word does not carry the same connotation that it did 50 or so years ago.

Just as Jay-Z said, the word is not as demeaning or harsh to this generation as it was to those of previous generations. The problem is not the fact that the "n" woed is so common in Huckleberry Finn. What should be done, instead of editing the book altogether, students should be taught the book just the way it is. But students should also be taught about the history of the "n" word (briefly), and why today it is wrong to repeat this word in front of anyone. It is a better alternative than to ruining a classic story by allowing the censors to change the writing in a book simply because people in the US are soooo sensitive to everything nowadays. I don't feel that the word should be used so commonly to address a friend, but at the same time, I don't feel you should censor a book for the same reason. As long as students in public schools are taught the wrongfulness of using the "n" word, then I think it is okay to teach them Huck Finn without resorting to censorship.