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Was Huck Finn A Racist?

I don’t know about anyone else, but this is getting way out of control for me. If I should offend anyone by the words to follow, I am NOT sorry, this is my point of view and I think you should get over it! Let me preface my opinion by saying this: I was born into a family that is a lot like others and we definitely have our issues, but here is my background…My mother was born in Sicily and actually came over on a boat, Yes I said a boat, having nothing to eat on the way but, a few boiled eggs that her, her brother and Father had to share. I would not call them oppressed as much as looking for a better way of life. They were processed LEGALLY through Ellis Island. Her Mother was a seamstress here in the states and was a legal citizen. They worked hard for their money and earned respect in their community. My Nonna, (Grandma) nor Nonno (g-pa) spoke much English, but learned through their children whom they put in the public school system as soon as their ages allowed them to. My father was raised in a very small town in Arkansas, born into a family of 2 girls, his mom, great woman, and a father who you couldn’t even call a father. He worked side by side with his “black friends”, whom he respected for their hard work. Now at this time, there weren’t any slaves, everyone got paid the same, 5 cents a day I think, and it wasn’t much. During my childhood, we never went without what was needed. We had a roof over our head and food on the table. Dad was a fisherman at the time, so our diet consisted of lots of fish, which was free, but did not come without a price. Dad was gone a lot and neither my brother nor I blamed him. He did what he had to do to be head of household, as does every “real man”. I remember eating lots of mac and cheese and hot dogs many nights for dinner. We of course had more to eat than that, but that is what I remember most. In my childhood, I learned that we got what we needed not necessarily what we wanted. Although we were spoiled to an extent as is every child in one way or another. My Dad, great man, I love him to pieces and we are very close, I hate to say it but I thought he was very close minded as I grew into my teen years, or so I thought, due to what I thought from him was a derogatory “n-bomb” throwing. Now, growing up hearing the “N” word was offensive to me on a daily basis. I never used it and if I did, I felt justified in doing so. I was terrified to bring my black friends over, because I did not want them to be offended. That being said, I thought at that point in my life that the “N” word was directed only to black people. Which in my Dad’s case it was, but it was because that was what his fellow workers wanted to be called. Can’t hold that against a man, now can you? I know I am on a tangent, so bare with me here. My Mom, being a Sicilian, wore earrings, when the girls in her school could not. She had olive skin and black hair, because it was a cultural thing, was called a number of names including the following: Gypsy, WOP, Guinea, etc. Now we all grow up with stuff like this, I myself was ridiculed for being too thin, which gave me a severe complex about my bird legs, but as I got older I realized, “You are too thin, but that is genetics, it isn’t your fault, so blow it off, those words do not harm me.” Regardless of the names that we are called don’t we have the ability to GROW UP and realize that it does not affect us in such a way to change history, school literature, etc? Seriously, if someone said, “Your Momma” would I be offended, no? If someone called me a nasty name, would I be offended? No! Why not you ask? My parents raised me right! They taught my brother and I that if something were said and it was untrue to not worry about it. It is called turning the other cheek. Now, I myself have never had any connection with this “N” word, but I understand being called lazy and ignorant. It makes me mad when I know I am not, but after my anger subsides I realize that as long as I know I am not ignorant and lazy, and I apply myself to the best of my knowledge and ability, then those words really just roll of my back. So, here is my point and the reason for all this ranting and psychobabble. I was driving into work and heard something on the radio that lit a fire under my butt so dang big; I can’t keep my mouth shut anymore! A local kid in his English class was reading “The Adventures of Huck Finn” by Mark Twain. I understand being called the “N” word on the streets and being upset, but this is overboard. I know this has always been a controversial piece of literature, but it was one of the his first books written in the 1800’s and is called, according to Ernest Hemingway, “the one book from which all modern American Literature came.” Contemporary critics and scholars have treated it as one of the greatest American works of art. Now think about the history here. This book was written in the 1800’s, so let’s think about what life was like then. Yes, there were slaves, sold to the America’s by “their own people.” Definitely cruel I must say. I myself do not agree with slavery, but it is part of THIS country’s history, whether we agree with it or not. A boy in this English class felt distraught about hearing the “N” word in the book and told his mother, who if she went to public schools, and she probably did, read the same book in English class. Long story short, the School District is making this teacher, who is doing her job, take cultural sensitivity classes? What the heck?! Is this not a classic piece of art? So, are we going to censor our history and books that were written almost 200 years ago to make someone feel better? My answer is, forget that! I could understand if she was being derogatory about the word or something and maybe that is the case, but still you cannot erase the past. My family had their own kind of oppression and never owned slaves, so why is it that my unborn children will not be able to read these classics in schools and learn the TRUE history of our nation? What has this country come to when we use our race as an excuse to be lazy and ignorant? I work hard to barely scrape by most months and have lived on less than $8000 a year, but did I take advantage of the system? I am not lashing out at the people who are minorities in any way. If this offends you, most likely it is because possibly you hold a grudge and cannot separate yourself from these harsh words or have a guilty conscience about it. Or it might be possible that you think the world owes you something. I don’t know what the deal is, and I am sure that you will tell me, but I love all walks of life, green and purple people too, but I say this: This beautiful country was founded by immigrants who put their blood, sweat, and tears into this country regardless of their skin color and look at where we are today. PLEASE take a good hard long look at this country. Once created to avoid the taxation in Europe, yet we are the most taxed country in the world. We were founded on Christianity and gave those who did not believe the right to not have to believe. No problem there; it is your soul, but I WANT my children to be able to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. We are not replacing GOD with the symbol of the flag, just merely respecting and appreciating those who made it happen. The majority of the GREAT friends I have are military or are married to someone in the military. I respect and love them dearly for their daily sacrifice, and if they believe in what they are doing, then so do I. We are helping to rebuild a country and standing up for those who deserve better. If that is so bad, get over it, it is happening. History is happening! You don’t like the war? Who does? It was necessary many times before to keep your homeland safe, so what is the problem? I am so sick of these people trying to ruin our country with their agendas! I understand the frustration, but seriously though, if a word, A WORD, offends you give me a break! I am sick and tired of hearing this on the news. Accept history for what it is! Look back at it and thank God that we will hopefully never go back to that. We need to unite as a country, get rid of ILLEGAL immigrants, who are adding more taxes to MY hard earned money by using and abusing the system that was put in place for American CITIZENS. Isn’t it time to pull together as a people and stop letting the small stuff bother us? We are at a state today in our country that I do not like. I admit it, but what can you do? Make the most of it and move on with your day? NO, do something about it! We never really take time to wave and smile at people anymore. We need to appreciate each other and for a lack of better words, “stop and smell the roses.” Why don’t we just help others for the shear reason of helping, and not expect rewards? When was the last time you were stuck in traffic on your way home from work and looked around at your surroundings? Been a while huh? Maybe you should appreciate the stop and go flow and be thankful that it slows you down to give you time to appreciate a sunset, or the beautiful trees or even how green the grass is. I will leave this rant session with one more thought…. If Hilary Clinton becomes the new president next year, God help me, because he will be my only hope.

Please feel free to explain, comment, etc on this, because maybe I am missing something, maybe I am racist and don’t know it! I have never felt as if I was better than anyone around me nor is anyone better than me. I am just sick to my stomach about this and a lot of other issues regarding race, illegal immigrants, etc. This is my personal opinion and it is just that; an opinion. Mark me up as what ever you want, but I refuse for my unborn children to grow up in narrow- minded times like these. It truly sickens me. I am deeply distraught about it all and wish that the slaves never were associated with that name, honestly. They were, and stuff from history will continue to stain our future if we continue to let it affect us in this way. I am asking everyone I know and everyone who reads this to truly think about this. What do you do when a child acts out for negative attention? I know you have to pick your battles, but do you give in to them every time? If you do there is the problem. We are feeding a “child” with negative attention, what does that say to them? Anytime I am bad, I get what I want so therefore I will continue to act out and behave poorly to receive it. If you want to pursue life as a legal immigrant, cool, we are the “Melting Pot”, go through the proper avenues to become legal. We open our arms to you, but please understand this is our country and soon to be yours if you are a legal immigrant, BUT don’t expect us to change our ways, culture of our country to satisfy you. If we offend you, sorry you chose to come here. In America our language is English. If you speak another language awesome, pass it down to your kids, so they too can become bilingual, but don’t expect us to change signs and literature, (although we have) to accommodate you. Educate yourself and your children. I personally took Spanish in school to be able to understand those in the ESL classes in my High School, and my best friends’ family when they were talking around us kids, but at least they are trying and want to be a part of this country. I say we look at this Huck Finn Situation with a positive spin. Although, having classic literature out of schools irritates me, and a teacher being reprimanded for doing her job, I feel 100% justified in my words. If we continue to react to things like this, this country will NEVER grow and become the country that OUR forefathers’ intended it to be, and all the brave souls lost in the many wars, would be in vain. I refuse to sit back and let that happen…. I am not ignorant to the fact that I will probably anger some people, which is not my intention, but we are all entitled to our opinion, by our Constitutional Rights. After putting this out there for everyone to read, I expect some hateful responses, and that’s ok, like I said I am not ignorant about it, nor will I act like I am.

DeAnna Fenton