I’ve been reading more reactions to Tom’s book burning and I’m amazed at the range of response. Well, I’m not really amazed. I mean, come on. I’ve been around for a few decades and have seen a lot of responses to a lot of things. People get their tighty whities all up in a bunch at just about anything and everything. So, no, I’m not amazed.
But, really, folks. These are books for God’s sake! Not people. Not animals. Not flags. Not effigies of you-know-who. Books. Some people are outraged that Tom’s burning the books instead of quietly throwing them in a large landfill. Is there really a difference? Whether they are being burned or dumped or left sitting to rot and mildew the end result is the same, right? No one is reading the damn books!
Now, I know there’s all this stigma to “book burning” and some people even have pictures on their blogs of a large bonfire of burning books with people all around doing the “sieg heil.” That’s not happening in ol’ K.C., folks. Just because someone once burned a book as a form of censorship should not forever more taint the burning of books as censorship. That is not Tom’s motive.
And Tom’s even giving every one a chance to save the books from the ashes. Just buy the damn things! Give them a good home. Dust them off once in a while. Open their tender little pages and READ THEM!
So, some people are getting all outraged at someone else burning books and are morally and ethically offended but don’t DO anything to stop it. Send me a check and I’ll go rescue the books. Rent a damn truck and go pick them up. Organize a donation somewhere — I’ll even help you lug them around. But do something instead of pissing and moaning about what someone else is doing when you can remedy the situation.
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