Censorship in Huckleberry Finn

If you haven't heard yet, the new edition of Huckleberry Finn is going to have the "n" word removed. (Hint: it isn't notsome.)

It doesn't seem so bad, at first glance. It updates the book language a bit - because that word is definitely not okay in todays culture - and it may even let kids who wouldn't be allowed to read it because of school boards/parents going RAWR I'M A GIANT SQUID OF ANGER. So, good, yes? That was my initial reaction, until I thought about it. Then the alarm bells started going off. Doesn't this sound a whole lot like censorship? Where does this stop? What if the term "slavery" is suddenly very taboo - are they going to switch it again? Fast forward a century - will they take out "bitch" from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Where does it stop, once it's started? As Maureen Johnson said on Twitter, "you can't retrofit a book to make it easier for you to deal with."

Not to mention that the fact that they have replaced the N-word with "slave" is just ridiculous. They are two words with completely different meanings. It seems to me that they - the publishers - are so afraid of appearing racist that they will do anything to appear UNracist, which really makes them look more racist than leaving the book untouched.

In short - Huckleberry Finn has been just FINE for 100 years: leave it be.