Opinion: We Need Good Teaching, Not Censorship

Many people are outraged over the news that a publisher is producing an expurgated edition of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" for use in schools.

As someone who defends free speech for a living, I share the view that this is a very bad idea. But it is important to recognize that the publisher is not trying to corrupt America's greatest novel. It is trying to make it easier to teach.

Cover of 'Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain.

Amazon.com

"Huckleberry Finn" is one of the most frequently challenged books in the country.

The problem is, how do you use a book like "Huckleberry Finn" in schools? The "N-word" appears more than 200 times in the novel and can cause hurt and embarrassment to African-American students even without the help of white classmates who may be racist themselves or too insensitive to recognize that even joking use of the word may be offensive.

That is why "Huckleberry Finn" is one of the most frequently challenged books in the country. Most of the challenges come from African-American parents who are trying to protect their children. Some chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People also have protested its use in the schools.

"Huckleberry Finn" is not the only target, of course. There are 400 to 500 challenges to books in schools and libraries every year. The parents who file these challenges have all found something offensive in the books that their children are reading and wish to protect them.

Viewpoints on 'Huck Finn' and the 'N-Word'

Let 'Huckleberry Finn' Stand -- Lauren Lise Baratz-Logsted
We Need Good Teaching, Not Censorship -- Christopher M. Finan
This Isn't the First Time 'Huck Finn' Has Been Targeted -- Barbara Jones
Scrubbing 'Huck Finn,' and Our History -- Tayari Jones
Why Mark Twain Can't Win After All These Years -- Jon Clinch
Mark Twain and the Word That Dares Not Speak Its Name -- Clinton Fein

More Opinion on AOL News

But we cannot give in to demands to censor books without doing serious damage to our kids, the schools and ultimately the nation.

The central mission of our schools is to prepare kids for the challenges of life in the 21st century, and teachers cannot do their job unless they have books that deal with the problems of our society, particularly those that already confront students –- racism, sexual abuse, violence and illegal drugs.

What we need is good teaching, not censorship.

Good teachers know how to handle controversial topics, preparing in advance for potential problems, contextualizing things such as the use of racial epithets that are difficult to understand. Some of these teachers have created resources that help their colleagues. There is already a curriculum for teaching "Huckleberry Finn."

Not all parents will be satisfied by this solution. They will insist that their children be shielded from controversy. Every parent has the right to ask for an alternate assignment for their children.

But our country will be the loser if the expurgation of "Huckleberry Finn" becomes a best seller.

Christopher Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, is the author of "From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America."