Blacks, Gays, and Huck Finn

I recently had a discussion on Facebook that started off with Republican sour grapes, then went to czars (a term of no importance), and ended with teaching homosexuality in schools.

Let me have disclosure. I have no kids so I can't begin to understand how parents attempt to protect the information flow to their childrend (that is another topic in and of itself).

My right leaning friends said that President Obama's School Czar was promoting a homosexual agenda (http://tinyurl.com/yab5pyd). I took an open mind and read the article and looked at some of the books that were recommened.

My response is, what is wrong with trying to promote acceptance, diversity, and equal rights for all? The excerpts that were taken, were just that, excerpts. One paragraph out of two hundred plus pages with no context whatsoever. I could think that Romeo was sexually harassing Juliet if I only read certain sentences and not the entire story.

I ask you this. There once was a book that was villified when it was released. It told the story of a young white male who befriended a Negro slave and had subsequent adventures in the deep south. The book was Huck Finn. At the time, it was said that this book showed how the Negro mind would poison the innocent white male. That the Negro could never show emotional intellegence or any intelligence for that matter. In retrospect it was much ado about nothing. The story promotes tolerance, acceptance, and moving beyond petty differences like skin color.

We need to get over whatever initial discomfort we may have about a subject and look at things objectively and work to move forward.

Until next time, free your mind and think forward - TPM