Let me just say that all apologies are due if my words were taken as
exclusionary.  I have no defensive response to any charge of
intellectaul snobbery, as I am merely a lowly waitress-cum-grad-student
and fellow admirer of Twain. On that note, I'm sure we're all subscribed
to this forum for the same reason.

I can't speak for Gary, but I would like to point out that my particular
email to which Sue replied should be apprehended as the response to a
_particular_ posting, to which I was trying to respond diplomatically and
in what I felt was a fairly non-kneejerk manner. I can't apologize for my
words, but I'm sorry if the context wasn't clear.  Ack. Here's to clearing
up misunderstanding and getting get back to business.

Rivka

On Thu, 5 Mar 1998, Sue Harris wrote:

> Let me just say that some people on this forum seem to think that unless
> you are an intellectual or scholarly, then you needn't bother to make
> your views known.  Well, let me just remind those of you who fall into
> that category that some of us are subscribed to this particular forum in
> order to learn more and enjoy the subject that we are so enthusiastic
> about - MARK TWAIN!  Therefore, if we happen to offer an opinion and it
> seems petty or less than "genius" to any of you, oh well -- I thought this
> forum was intended for anyone who might be interested and membership
> should be
> encouraged - not discouraged.  In short, don't be so pious!
>
> Sue J. Harris
> Secretary for Career Development and Fine Arts
> Elmira City School District
>
> "Live Life To the Fullest Everyday"
>
> On Wed, 4 Mar 1998, Rivka Swenson wrote:
>
> > I am in agreement with Gary about purviewing appropriate articles on the
> > issue, prior to pronouncement of opinion, so as to make informed,
> > appropriate and salient responses.  I also appreciated Larry's point about
> > it being alright to say something about your mother (or, about yourself)
> > while still taking legitimate offense at an outsider's similar voicing..
> > One last word about the N-word: one way to look at it, is this--members of
> > minority groups who appropriate "the language of the oppressors" do
> > succeed in defusing, somewhat, the sting.  If you're not in that group,
> > though, you're simply, as it's put, "calling someone out their name"--a
> > ery big offense, because, historically, names, religious
affiliations and
> > family structures were shattered.  That seems pretty clear. Finally, Steve
> > said something to the effect of "what if I get offended by the term
> > 'honky'?" Well, what if you do?  The issue, whatever it may be, shouldn't
> > be a matter of "personal and individual offense."
> >
> > On Tue, 3 Mar 1998, Gary Henrickson wrote:
> >
> > > In all honesty, I've been waiting for this thread to die off.  The issue of
> > > Mark Twain's/ Huck Finn's racism has been viewed and reviewed for the last
> > > 10-15 years in the journals and in some fine books with no resolution (Cf.
> > > Forrest Robinson's articles and books).  My suggestion is that one plow
> > > through some of those articles and then return to this thread if there is
> > > anything new to say about it.
> > >
> > > As far as the "N" word goes, I do accept arguments that it is a historically
> > > weighty term.  But I am struck by the frequency of the use of the word by
> > > American blacks in conversation with each other.  I have wondered at times
> > > if such use hasn't taken some of the sting out of the term. (?)
> > >
> > > Gary Henrickson
> > > North Dakota State College of Science
> > >
> >
>