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Censored Huck Finn to be published: Pub. Weekly

But couldn't the further sale of such a book be prohibited by a court?

I'm not a legal expert, but I would imagine the halting of further sale by the court is because the slandered party is asking for that. The court would just be enforcing the wishes of the slandered party.

If the slandered party didn't care or didn't take any action then the book could/would be published.

That's my understanding.

It's a civil matter rather than a criminal matter.


That's how I imagined it, too. I had a rather famous case that happened here a few years ago in mind. Maybe I should have been more precise but since I was only speculating about this (I don't know whether it really works like that in the USA) I left out any details.
My point was that it would be pretty hard to get a book banned and that there would have to be a really good reason if that was possible at all. I think that still stands.
 
There are many Western nations where slander is more easily prosecuted than in the United States and where legal regulation of freedom of expression is more accepted. For example, the passage of a law against Holocaust denial is really difficult to imagine in the U.S. - it would eventually be tossed on Constitutional grounds. Similarly, the U.S. Congress has considered a bill that would render British libel law unenforcable in the United States because it so favors the plaintiff.
 
Ironically, if they started banning works with the word "nigger" in it they'd probably affect the output of blacks more than anyone else. Though I've noticed in the last few years that has fallen into disfavor from all quarters, especially after the Michael Richards incident.
 
pc gone wild! black people use the word all the time! it not looking good for the good oid usa too pc!

Actually it's looking FINE for the "oid" usa.

As much as I am against the publishing of this book, it's not the government MAKING someone publish this book. It's one company who thinks it's a brilliant idea. And they have every right to publish it. (Like I have every right to think it's a stupid idea.)

If it was the government demanding it, then yeah it would be "pc gone wild"

But, it's not.
 
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I say publish an uncensored version and a censored version and let people decide. I am part black and read Huck Finn in college and wasn't offended because I understood that is what the language was back then and it was acceptable. I thought it was a wonderful read.
 
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