Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Sure, she stole the book, but the library having it was the real problem

In what I can only classify as the "mofo du jour" (heck, I may make that a new category for the blog), this lady out in Lewiston, Maine checked out a book title. She decided that the book offended her sensibilities. So instead of returning it, she took it upon herself to be the moral police and stole it so that other people would not be able to read it. She claims the book, It's Perfectly Normal, violates local anti-obscenity laws. And it is not like she is denying the theft. According to the story, she did check the book out at two library branches. At least, the thief was "thoughtful" enough to write a check to cover the cost of the books. How nice. Folks, the reality of this story is that the lady is a thief pure and simple. If she did not want to read the books, all she had to do was leave them alone on the shelf. She could have even filed a complaint or request for review at the library without having to resort to theft. The minute she chose to become a thief, she lost any sympathy and credibility. It is not an act of civil disobedience no matter what her wishful thinking may be. To even consider labeling her actions as such simply gives a bad name to the actions of such noble people as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. We can only hope that the people in Lewiston, ME have a little more reason and common sense than that lady.

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