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=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][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]

The issue isn't the wish for diversity, it is the characatures that propagate falsehoods about a race or group of people.[/quote]
Interesting way to *out it.  How many characatures have been propagated on this thread by people who agree with you and against what group of people?[/quote]
*put it.[/quote]

Sorry -- what is wrong with this?  Do people in China not use chopsticks?  The person is in traditional Chinese clothes for southern china.  [/quote]

It doesn't say "people in China." It says "Chinaman." And the book treats eating with chopsticks as very strange, as other, something wildly outrageous.[/quote]
They did change it to Chinese man.  And it's not strange at all.  It's just showing another place with a different custom.[/quote]

You haven't read the story, have you?

Look, I'll ask you the same question: What's wrong with this? What is wrong with a publisher deciding not to publish?[/quote]
The problem is not the publisher deciding something, it's why they did it in the larger social context of racism.

You all think i's "obvious" it's racist and only an idiot or racist would disagree.  I'm telling you it's not at all "obvious" it's racist.  I tried to explain that as best I could, but people still think only idiots think that way.

But since I'm the supposed idiot, it guess it's obvious to all of you that there is only one way to think and you all have the right way.[/quote]

With possibly racist jokes, artwork, etc. my golden rule is: would I tell this/show this to someone of that race/ethnicity?

I would definitely be ashamed to show this to a Chinese American or immigrant.[/quote]
I have no problem with it and  know Chinese people who don't think it's racist, they think it's just a cartoon.[/quote]

+1
Actual Chinese people are often impressively pragmatic and thick-skinned.

If you want to find something old+American that’s offensive to Chinese people, look at how many rich Americans owe their fortunes to opium.[/quote]

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