Is the N-word completely abhorrent and inexcusable today? Yes. Do the novels you blamed condone it? No. Any sensible student, especially under the guidance of a teacher, can easily see that these books highlight the evil and injustice behind racism. Depending on their upbringing, some children may not learn these lessons without facing them in literature.

I understand your wish to bury the hatchet. I hate the word. I hate the idea. And I’m not someone who thinks shouting angrily about racial injustice is the right way to go either. But I think you may have misplaced your efforts here. Censorship isn’t the answer. There are some horrific passages that describe utterly immoral behavior in Homer, Virgil, the Bible, Alighieri, Faulkner, O’Conner, etc. But that doesn’t mean they condone that behavior, or that we should censor them.

If your aesthetic tastes differ from school reading lists (and God knows mine do), that’s one bone to pick. I’d much rather read Snow Falling on Cedars than Gatsby. But the censorship of racial injustice is another thing entirely.