Quote:
Originally Posted by issybird
It’s not kids’ outrage you have to worry about. It’s the lack of outrage, the acceptance of something offensive, the effect of seeing another race demeaned. The stereotypical image of the Asian man in Mulberry Street offends. Enough to withdraw the book, an important and good book? It’s complicated. As with the Obamas’ love of Seuss. No one’s arguing that he wasn’t a great author, didn’t almost single-handed transform children’s lit for the better. But as time has gone on, it’s obvious he’s not an unalloyed good, either.
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Just because _you_ are outraged at something written 50 years ago doesn't mean that children should be outraged, That's just projecting your personal prejudices on them. I read my some of my grandmother's history books when I was a kid, with all the bigotry in them. It wasn't hard for my parents to explain that's just how people thought back then and we don't think that way anymore.
Withdrawing books because you personally find them offensive isn't complicated, it's very straight forward. It's also a very good argument for no copyright if a book isn't available for purchase.
No one is unalloyed good. If that's your standard, then you might as well get the gas out because you are going to be burning pretty much every book written.