The Freepers and the alt-righters and the Breitbarters must be loving the fact that "the political correctness movement" here in Virginia has turned its sights on two liberal literary icons, Mark Twain and Harper Lee. A mom in Accomack County says that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird should be pulled from the local schools because both books' use of the N-word has upset her biracial son.
Finn, from which Ernest Hemingway famously said all literature derived, is such brilliant social satire that we cats won't even try to tackle it in a blog post. But Mockingbird, partly thanks to the Oscar-winning 1962 film adaptation, is so beloved that defending it is easier than bustin' up a chifforobe.
In fact, Mockingbird is particularly relevant now. Although his minions insist on denying it, the soon-to-be leader of the free world ran a racist, hatemongering Presidential campaign. The result: Teachers nationwide report that bullying is up in schools, and race-based harassment across the country has skyrocketed. Since the Mockingbird characters who most prolifically use the N-word are all horrible people, Lee's novel would be an important and reaffirming lesson for today's Trump-beleaguered kids.
But still — it's very sad. Wouldn't that youngster in Accomack County be more comfortable discussing these classics of American literature if the Republicans hadn't given white supremacy a platform this year? We cats think he would — faster than you can say Tom Robinson. So we HISS.
IMAGE: If you like this tote bag, you can buy it here.
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