Dealing with racism in childrens' classics.

From the NYT:

We rewrite the past to serve the needs of the present. The clarity of history is its great advantage. The racism in “Fantasia” or “Pippi Longstocking” is overt: instantly identifiable by its noxious odor and satisfyingly dismissible with enlightened disgust. More subtle instances may provoke hedging and justification. The “Babar” series of books has long been the subject of ferocious debates about its status as a propagandistic celebration of colonialism. The argument makes complete sense to me — the elephants return to their native land bearing the gifts of civilization learned in the metropolis and make war on the rhinoceroses who don’t share the benefits of acculturation. But as a practical parenting matter, I don’t care. My son won’t be turned into a more effective colonist by stories of elephants riding elevators.

It's a thoughtful piece. And while I didn't agree with every single thing he said, he didn't ask the reader to do that: he's very, very clear that there isn't only one right way of dealing with a very uncomfortable situation.