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                                         Here's Why: A Response to "Why Read That Book?"

In the article, "Why Read That Book," Paul Butler alludes to the fact that in the argument of whether students should read or should not read Huck Finn with the word "nigger," there are consequences both ways.  He states that he personally takes great offense to this epithet, however he did not want to be profiled as the, "overly sensitive black dude who couldn't take a joke."  No one wants to be that guy.  As a former federal prosecutor who studied at Yale, Butler is well versed and quite experienced at getting his side of the story heard.  This time is no different.
Butler makes an excellent point when he points out that this is not about racism, it is a choice.  As all children are taught when they are younger, choices have consequences.  This situation is no different.  Whether the version of Huck Finn a student reads contains the word "nigger" or not is a choice made by the teacher or the curriculum.  As this choice is made, the school needs to be ready to face the consequences.  One of two things can come from this.  Either the teacher risks offending the students in her classroom, or the students are deprived of the literary masterpiece that Mark Twain originally intended for them to read.
The other thing I found interesting about the articles I read was how the authors referred to Huck Finn as a masterpiece, and it is because this work is a masterpiece that we should leave it as it is.  I agree with this whole-heartedly.  Why is this? To all those who would say that "nigger" should be replaced with "slave," here is my argument.  Butler made an earlier statement about how his roommate would play "Rock n Roll Nigger" on repeat all the time.  I was stunned at first because of the connotations that surround that word.  The audacity for someone to play that song while being fully aware of the crude meaning behind the word is unfathomable.  That got me thinking of how constantly the word "nigger" is casually thrown around like slang in modern day songs.  One in particular that comes to mind is, "Niggas in Paris," by Jay-Z and Kanye West.  This song is one of the many containing the profound epithet on the album, "Watch the Throne," which is a collaboration with Kanye West.  In any musician's career, he or she wants to be able to say he has won a Grammy.  There is no doubt that winning a Grammy is quite prestigious and an incredible honor.  The acknowledgement and respect in the music industry that comes with earning a Grammy is something to be proud of.  Well, "Watch the Throne," was nominated and won a Grammy for Best Rap Album of 2012, thus elevating the album to "masterpiece status."  Yet, no one is calling for the song, "Niggas in Paris" to be re-titled "Slaves in Paris."  It is a two-way street.  How can one criticize one work and not the other?  What conditions make using the word "nigger" artistically legitimate?  Without a reasonable explanation, I accept the fact that reading the word addresses its power and brings to life the horrors of racism.  Without it, the book simply would not be the same and the message would not be delivered as accurately.