Posted by Anne LeVeque on 01/17/00 from 207.197.129.139:
In Reply to: Re: Regulated Almost Out Of Existence posted by iAiN on January 17, 2000 at 16:05:53:
The unfortunate racial comment was the subject of much discussion some
time back. There was much debate over whether a change (consensus=unacceptable)
or a gloss (consensus=unpleasant, distracting, but not as much as a change) or
nothing at all (consensus=mixed). In our house, with both toddlers
and an older child, the question pops up when the books are being
read aloud. A toddler will repeat what her parents say, and therefore
racial slurs *must* be avoided (among other things) because they will
be repeated. As I recall, the incident in the book was where one of
the Death & Glories sees a photographic negative for the first time
and exclaims, "niggers!" It takes nothing away from the plot or the
essential humor of the moment to substitute something like, "Africans!"
But I would not have the substitution made *for* me by an editor -- rather
as a parent, given the particular circumstances of my family (tender ears),
I would make the substitution on my own.
Anne LeVeque
aleveque@nccbuscc.org