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.

[evilC]

Another I-thought-this-was-about-a-scanner-techie checking in.
:)

[Ichneumon]

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.

Sigh...

What's really a shame about this is that TAoHB contains what is probably the most powerful anti-racism scene in any novel in the English language.

Huck, the eternal scoundrel, happens to end up on the run with the runaway slave Jim. Because of the times he grew up in, Huck had always been taught that slavery was right and proper. At one point Huck tries to turn his life around by doing the "right" thing for a change, and starts writing a letter telling people where to find the runaway Jim. But finally he thinks of all the times that Jim was good to him, and how "human" Jim seemed, and he can't go through with it:

...and then I happened to look around and see that paper.

It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:

"All right, then, I'll go to hell" -- and tore it up.

It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.

It's one thing to do the right thing when everyone and God are encouraging you to do it. But it's another thing entirely to be noble enough to see and do the right thing even when everyone else, including God they say, is against it and you think you're destroying yourself by doing so.

I'm always in awe of that scene.

[Ichneumon]

Another I-thought-this-was-about-a-scanner-techie checking in.

And for those wondering what in the heck we're talking about... TWAIN is the method by which most computer scanners "talk" to your computer:

TWAIN’s purpose is to provide and foster a universal public standard which links applications and image acquisition devices.

And:

Question: What is TWAIN an acronym for?

Answer: An image capture API for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems. The standard was first released in 1992, and is currently ratified at version 1.9 as of January 2000. TWAIN is typically used as an interface between image processing software and a scanner or digital camera.

The word TWAIN is from Kipling's "The Ballad of East and West" - "...and never the twain shall meet...", reflecting the difficulty, at the time, of connecting scanners and personal computers. It was up-cased to TWAIN to make it more distinctive. This led people to believe it was an acronym, and then to a contest to come up with an expansion. None were selected, but the entry "Technology Without An Interesting Name" continues to haunt the standard. "

[FreedomPoster]

>>None were selected, but the entry "Technology Without An Interesting Name" continues to haunt the standard. "

Sort of like "People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms" for PCMCIA.

[tiamat]

Sure.

Covering it up and not facing that people ever used language like that makes it all better/ sarcasm

Apparently the people complaining have never READ "Huckleberry Finn"!

Tia

[Paleo Conservative]

When I first read the title of the thread, I thought it was about scanner drivers.

[WOSG]

Me too!!

[stylin_geek]

Me too...Twain and PC in the title..we computer people are on a different wavelength.

[Jonathon Spectre]

Sometimes I just wish a damned comet would put an end to all this idiocy once and for all.

[TechJunkYard]

Really. Why is this in the Technical section then?

[B Knotts]

ROFL. Me too. I don't know why someone added "Technical" to the topic list.

[B Knotts]

There really are a lot of geeks here, aren't there? :-O

[eyespysomething]

me too!

[Mackey]

Apparently the people complaining have never READ "Huckleberry Finn"!

Or-- they read it and just didn't understand it.

[Congressman Billybob]

It has been decades since I read Huck Finn. Yet I still remember the classic scene you just put in your post. It still has its power.

Anyone who thinks that Huck Finn is anti-black, rather than in favor of the humanity of all people, including N---- Jim, is as dumb as a sack of hammers. The parents who are making this claim should be required to READ the book, and then bring in a book report on it.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, now up FR, "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies."

[Arpege92]

I am a white female who is offended every time I walk into a grocery store and see Ritz "Crackers" on the shelf!

I'm also offended by the milk section....instead of saying "white" milk, can't they say "caucasion" milk?

What about Pop "tarts"....that is so UN-politically correct....that word is directed towards all females by all males.

Don't forget about "Dog" food....this causes all ugly people undue stress and that's not fair!

If only the NOW organization could get the word "sugar" off of all sugar bags....it's demeaning towards women and it imply's that women are only on this planet for one reason and one reason only....to please men!

What about "trash" bags? This is also demeaning towards women!


:-}

[presidio9]

I'm always in awe of that scene.

Aren't we all? I guess not. Thanks for posting this.