Keep the Damn Word In

It was bound to happen some time. The planets were bound to align so that we would agree on something, though not for the same reasons. I agree that the dread N-word from Mark Twain's great American novel, Huckleberry Finn, should stay not only because it would be expensive to remove it for future reference but for the sake of authenticity. Even though we know Huck and the widow Sally for who they were, they wouldn't sound authentic if they replaced one N-word for another. Rather, they would sound like a bunch of debutantes at a coming out (not in that way) ball.

Not only does it reflect the speech reflect an era, but in the name of fairness, the publishers would then have to remove all similar words about other ethnic groups. So the following words would have to go: the K-word for Jewish people, the WB-word for the Mexicans, as those who are coming here illegally no longer swim through the algae-ridden water but come up through drainpipes instead, the W-word for Italians, and someone would have to correct a Limey, scratch that, an Englishman, whenever he wanted a "fag," unless he really wanted one.

It would turn many of us into mutes, though it could open up other avenues of discussion like more talk about the weather, but in the name of historical accuracy, fairness and cost, that word should stay.