Reply to I’m a liberal democrat horrified by the current Dr Seuss drama and normalization of censorship

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]The original line that OP quoted was actually pretty offensive. It was apparently revised in 1978. Here is the original text and drawing:

[img]https://www.justthinkitthrough.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Mulberry-Street-269x300.gif[/img]

According to Wikipedia:

"The book has received only one textual revision. In 1978, Geisel agreed to a slight rewording, renaming the character who appears near the end of the story a "Chinese man" instead of a "Chinaman".[14] He also agreed to remove the character's pigtail and the yellow coloring from the character's skin."
[/quote]

The book was pointing out how diverse Mulberry Street was in a dream. It wasn't saying anything derogatory about the person. It was showing how a child was enthralled by all the diversity of the world he dreamed about. The reality of Mulberry Street was that there was no Chinaman or Chinese Man. It was a boring street. The book was wishing the child could meet diverse people and see diverse things. So to me, taking it out signifies that we really just want to experience Mulberry Street as it really was.

The man wrote a book about all the places you could go. All the houses you could live in. He wrote about Sneetches and accepting everyone regardless of the look of your skin. He definitely appreciated cultures. It's all ridiculous.[/quote]

It’s not all ridiculous at all. He regretted a lot of what he wrote in his early years, and evolved. You can have great intentions and a really great message, but still screw up in the delivery. [/quote]
He changed some of the pictures and wording, but he didn't take them out of print, so presumably he would think they are okay now.[/quote]

No I don’t think he would, because his messages evolved with the times. He was really a shining example for our kids. His estate, and the people that are in charge of making decisions about it, are carrying on his tradition here. I applaud it.  It’s an empathetic move. One he’d likely approve.[/quote]
Maybe, maybe not.  We can't really know.  True it's an empathetic move.  But empathy isn't everything.  That's heresy in some circles.  I'm very empathetic.  But I'm also a heretic.[/quote]

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