Ask ISIS
Intolerance
James Russell Lowell, who lived from
1819-1891, stated a truism that is just as
true today as it was when he fi rst uttered
these famous words. “Toward no crime
have men shown themselves so coldbloodedly
cruel as in punishing differences
of belief.”
Last month we mentioned that people
were fi ghting because of religious differences.
This month we will mention the
fi ghting that goes on because of something
so simple as what books you and I like to
read.
I was in my local bookstore the other day
when the owner asked me to please write
about intolerance. It seems that some of his
customers were threatening not to patronize
his place of business any more if he
didn’t stop selling some of his books. Since
this owner makes his living selling books it
only makes sense to sell books that people
want to buy. Since not everyone reads the
same type of book it also makes sense that
a bookseller needs to stock books for every
taste.
Does it really matter that you believe
a book is evil? Why do you believe it is
evil? Is it evil because it is outside of your
belief? Is that what makes it evil?
I, myself, have no interest in most of
the best sellers. They would go out of business
if they waited for me to purchase them
but should I tell my friend that I don’t want
him to stock those books? My reading is
mostly on fantasy. I like fairies and elves
and vampires and werewolves. I have read
every Harry Potter book written and am
impatiently waiting for the last book to
come out. What? You say they teach devil
worship? That these books are evil? How
can a Harry Potter book teach that evil is
good when Harry fi ghts evil? Haven’t you
noticed that almost every book (with the
exception of the horror books) evil always
loses to good? Have you thought it might
be your belief that sees evil where there is
none?
My sister doesn’t like ‘chic lit’ or to give
the genre its real name, romance novels.
She doesn’t believe the characters should
treat sex like they do buying ice cream.
Should those be banned?
We have parents wanting certain books
taken out of the library. They say that they
corrupt the children’s minds. I say keep the
books in the library. What is forbidden to
a child becomes that which a child most
wants. It is up to the parent to instill values
in a child. It is also up to the parent to be
wise and to be able to separate values from
prejudice. Prejudice stifl es growth while
instilling values helps a person to grow
stronger.
Did you know that Adolph Hitler loved
books and reading? Did you know that he
cried when he ordered his SSS troops to
gather and burn books? He knew that if
you controlled the books you controlled the
people. Is this what the people who don’t
want certain books to be sold are trying to
do? Are they trying to control the people
who wish to read these books?
Some years back I was collecting merchandise
for a yard sale that I was hosting.
The generosity of the people was outstanding.
That is until I stopped at the home of a
woman I thought was my friend. Yes, she
had some merchandise that she would be
glad to contribute and just what was the
yard sale for? When I told her it was for a
certain political party she started screaming
and literally pushed me out of her house. I
was shocked to fi nd that the same person
who had known and liked me for a few
years now hated me just because my politics
were different than hers. Had I changed? I
did turn and look to be sure I hadn’t grown
a tail and checked that my feet hadn’t
turned into hoofs. I was the same person
that had listened with sympathy and nonjudgment
to her tales of woe but because
my politics were different from hers I was
suddenly a stranger and evil. I sometimes
think of her and wonder what she would
think if she knew that I was writing this
column. I’m sure she would believe that I
was going straight to hell without passing
go or collecting $200.00
I was under the impression that we as
Americans didn’t need to agree on every
point. Viva la difference. I was under the
impression someone who likes to read
mysteries could co-exist with a Stephen
King reader who could love a person who
reads chic lit. (And all of them could buy
Penthouse for the articles.)
My late husband loved classical music
and Jazz. I am a C & W listener. Which
one of us was bad? Should he or I have forbidden
the other’s music to come into the
house? Are we so busy trying to get the cast
out of someone else’s eye that we don’t see
the mote in our own?
Do the people, who tell the bookseller
not to stock certain books, truthfully believe
that their way is the only true way? If
they do I have just one question for them:
How do they know that they are the only
ones who are correct? What makes them so
righteous?
Playgrounds Magazine accepts my scribbles
without a red pen. They know that my
view may not represent any views except
my own but they accept the fact that someone
of you may agree with some of my
views. As long as one person says: “You
go man.” Then I’ll continue to write and
Playgrounds will continue to publish my
writings.
Let me hear what you would like in a
future column and until then be tolerant of
the viewpoint that may not be your own.
Visit us at 1400 3rd. Ave. 3rd Sunday’s from
3pm to 5pm. Until then, Blessed Be