Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Book-Burning

Update: huge thanks to Ric, commenting from On The Scene!

Look, I'm opposed to burning books; I'm practically a bibliophibian myself and when first I read Fahrenheit 451, I didn't think it was science fiction or social commentary, I thought it was a horror story.

But if you own 'em, you can burn 'em.

There's a big fuss in the oldstream media -- and likely some parts of the blogosphere, too -- about Rev. Terry Jones, minister in Florida (sanctimonious Big Network article about him) who's fixin' to have a Koran bonfire. It has provoked reactions ranging from predictable -- various Islamic groups expressing outrage, the easily-roused rioting in the street here and there in the Third World, the usual chorus of fools wailing about intolerance[1] -- to the surprising: General Petraeus warning it "could endanger U. S. troops." (Soldiers, hostages, sausages, it's all so confusing to officers these days...).

Lost in the noise is the fact this wouldn't be a story without the noise. We're talking about a church in Gainesville, Florida with fifty members (and no word on how many of them attend every Sunday). If they were planning to burn a pile of Alice Cooper LPs Marilyn Manson cassettes Lady Gaga CDs, it might have made the local paper and/or TV news. Might.

But thanks to the awesome inability of the Steam-Powered[2] News Screamin' Headline Complex to ignore a juicy headline, a 58 year old preacher with an honorary degree has got the United States, our Army, the Mayor-Beast of Babylon New York City[3] and the Islamic nations (not all of them theocracies but in most cases, close enough) all packed up in his little matchbox.

"Asymmetrical warfare?" I'm pretty sure I know who's mastered that art at a more than Texas Ranger level of asymmetry. "One riot, one Ranger." One preacher, one planet. Or a big chunk of it, anyway.

Meanwhile, ABCNNBCBSTimesPost bewails the inflammatoriness of it all. Hey, if you really mean it, stop fanning the flames!

And Muslims: y'all can cherish and protect your own copies of your own Book[4] every bit as much as you like, but here in the United States, we have not only got the Bill of Rights, we have (still) pretty good laws regarding property rights. If the minister or his church owns those books, they can burn them. Don't worry, you've got plenty more, not to mention schools full of young men memorizing the entire thing. Paranoid much?

(Elsewhere. Oh, yeah.)
__________________________
1. "You keep using that word; I do not think you know what it means."
2. And not in a good way, either.
3. "It's distasteful," he sniffed, adding it is within the minister's rights. At least so far, ey, Mr. Mayor? I'm sure you're workin' on it.
4. I keep wondering if the good minister has stockpiled English translations, or the Arabic original? 'Cos any really good Muslim'll tell ya, if it's translated, it doesn't actually count as the Koran. Y'know, unless it works out better for 'em to do so....

22 comments:

Stuart the Viking said...

Man, I thought the islamapersons were all about the whole "worship no idols" thing. Seems to me that if you get THAT upset about someone destroying a THING on the other end of the world, maybe you are a little too attached? Geesh, I guess it is WAY too much to ask for people to realize that it's the message that is important, not the physical book itself.

I pretty much think that burning a bunch of books is a dick move. A futile one in the day and age where hundreds of thousands (I'm guessing here) of this book could be printed tomorrow if the world ever found itself running low on the message of peace, enlightenment, and I'LL KILL YOU! DIE INFIDEL DIE DIE!!!!

s

WV: mopier, as in how everyone feels when some jackwipe burns a book for no good reason.

Ken said...

If they were planning to burn a pile of (stricken) Lady Gaga CDs, it might have made the local paper and/or TV news. Might.

Might have made one of the ABC or Viacom-owned 'nets, if they got the idea some "point and laugh at the rubes" content would help their side in November.

parabarbarian said...

It's not like they are burning something useful like Marks' Manual or the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Well, if Rabbi Bloomberg and his NYC Appeaser Administration can keep screaming that the 1st. Amendment gives a bunch of Terrorist Supporters the Constitutional Right to practice their Religion by placing their Mosque smack-dab in the middle of the next IslamoFascist Attack Zone, I guess the decision to burn some books by a bunch of Rednecks using the EXACT SAME FIRST ADMENDMENT should not piss them off, but it does. What part of "the Free exercise thereof" doesn't the Billionaire Bolshevik get, or is he trying to pay the Danegeld and got Caught? Besides, I'd like to see Holder (who's threatened to Charge the Church with a Hate Crime) try to explain how only the Leftie P.C. crowd has the right to burn things when it goes in front of the Supreme Court. P. S.: How many years did Obammy listen to the Rev. Wrong scream "God Damn America" from his First Amendment -Protected Pulpit?

Anonymous said...

"I pretty much think that burning a bunch of books is a dick move."

I find it very funny that the Bibles that were burned in Afghanistan do not even merit a single report in the American media, but a bunch of yahoos in Florida are a manifestation of widespread hate crimes in America.

Shootin' Buddy

Roberta X said...

SB: In that case, how did you find out about them -- and why didn't you cite a link to the source?

Contrarily, a story in Gainesville, FL is easy to cover and cheap, too. You can drive there. Afghanistan? Man, that'd be a lot of work....

Bubblehead Les: Please reread the little blurb at the top of the comment window. I'll give you one "fun with a politican's name," but you've done used up your 2010 and 2011 quotas. Bonus: tell me when Mayor Bloomberg qualified as a Rabbi. That take some serious work.

Anonymous said...

Roberta, I didn't give a cite as I thought everyone knew about the Bibles being burned as it made the Intertubes last summer.

The Intertubes: it is a series of tubes in which sometimes my staff sends me an Internets.

I reads the Internets:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/19/us-army-burns-bibles-in-afghanistan/

I reads the CNN:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/20/us.military.bibles.burned/index.html

"Contrarily, a story in Gainesville, FL is easy to cover and cheap, too. You can drive there. Afghanistan? Man, that'd be a lot of work.... "

If only the American news media in Afghanistan and could tell us about the burned Bibles. If only!

Oh, wait, I know what it is . . . Christians won't chop heads off. Squeaky wheel gets the news coverage and empathy.

Shootin' Buddy

Ric said...

I'd say judging by the parking on Sundays maybe 30 or so...

I live about a half mile from the Dove Inter Faith Center, the church in question here and also a used furniture store...

I've figure if you want to burn a bunch of religious books in the comfort of your own home, well this is America...

Pastor Jones who has some valid points to his argument, isn't such a bad guy for a ravenous Evangelical preacher, but he sure hates none Christians with a passion. I didn't know he was so good at PR...

Last year he had the kids from his center wear anti Islamic tee shirts to school in violation of the school dress code and got a bit
local notoriety, so now on to bigger and better things...

This place is circus with all the TV trucks lined up outside the center, even more than we had when the Gators one back to back National Titles in Football & Basketball...

Personally I frown on burning books, they have so many other uses, besides we're still in a heat wave here and staying warm is not one of them...

The rumors are they will move the burning to a members residence to keep the local fire rescue guys from dampening the festivities with the 6" deck monitors on Engine 7 from around the corner, as the city has a burn ordinance and the county doesn't...

Also the place is for sale, I guess he's looking to make a career change, or up grade to TY Evangelist...

I'm really surprised he's limiting the burning to the Koran cause he doesn't like anybody...

Should be an interesting weekend...

Tam said...

Shootin' Buddy,

"I find it very funny that the Bibles that were burned in Afghanistan do not even merit a single report in the American media..."

Holy crap! Barbarism in a barbarian country! That IS newsworthy! Quick, call Dan Rather! Dog bites man!

Divemedic said...

Speaking as a Florida firefighter, I can tell you that there is an easy way to circumvent any burn ordnance in Florida. All you have to do is have a few hot dogs on sticks nearby, and claim it is a recreational cooking fire, and the burn ordnance is moot.

The fact that you are using Korans as fuel, well that is protected free speech.

What disturbs me is the Gainesville PD announcing that they will be taking names- er i mean- checking driver's licenses of anyone who attends the Koran burning. That scares me far more than a few folks burning personally owned books on private property.

It is also funny that the Gainesville Mayor has declared 9/11 to be "Gainesville Interfaith Harmony Day" which is much easier to put on the Welcome to Gainesville sign than "We had nothing to do with the Koran burning, so please, Oh God please, don't hurt us Day."

Divemedic said...

and to add, the Muslims have burned Christian artifacts before:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/285123/christians_in_gaza_fear_for_their_lives.html

You are spot on: This is a First Amendment issue, and a property issue. I don't even see where is endangers troops. It isn't like anyone over there needs an excuse to kill American troops.

Tam said...

"What disturbs me is the Gainesville PD announcing that they will be taking names- er i mean- checking driver's licenses of anyone who attends the Koran burning."

That right there is creepy.

Ric said...

Like I said it's quite a circus here, and yes GPD is saying that they'll be checking DL's...

On the other hand the UF Gators are playing in the swamp which is a much greater concern for most of the locals than the Koran BBQ ...

To my fellow hose humper we both know books would leave a weird taste to the Hot Dogs ...

Old Grouch said...

"Steam-Powered[1]
...
...
[1] And not in a good way, either."


Chortle!

Anonymous said...

"Dog bites man!"

As I just demonstrated, it all depends on which dog.

Shootin' Buddy

Roberta X said...

SB: and with my profound thanks for the link. Srsly, otherwise it's just one guy sayin' stuff.

Roberta X said...

Rev. Jones has his own series of signs along the road in front of his church, too:

"ISLAM"
"IS OF THE"
"DEVIL"

Alas, it hasn't got that ol' roadside zing; he should'a said,

"MOHAMMED WASN'T"
"ON THE LEVEL"
"ISLAM IS"
"OF THE DEVIL"
"Burma Shave"

Corporate sponsorship, man, corporate sponsorship.

Tam said...

Shootin' Buddy:

I'm still not seeing the news story in Afghani Muslims burning Bibles. That's like reporting that it's raining in Seattle.

It's not news when savages act like savages. Admit it: we expect no better from the wogs, really. It is news when Americans act like savages, as has been amply proven.

Ric said...

Latest on the Koran BBQ...

Jones is still planning on going through with his plans for Saturday...

Local authorities are all in a wad over this. There is a UF/USF football game in town the same time and the University and UPD are claiming notched up security,"just in case"...

All local law enforcement types are talking extra man power that day, even above the usual Game Day levels...

I guess they smell jihad in the air...

Personally I'm more worried that Jones will get a little to happy with the gasoline to start the bonfire and catch all his facial hair on fire, but then I could be wrong you know those Jihadist types.

The street the Center is on is about 1 mile long and GPD will be checking licences on any traffic on that road. Said street unofficially know as "Mile Run" has several large housing complexes and subdivisions of the upper middle class persuasion and they will be effected by the check points.

My wife has several friends from work who live up that way and are they are feeling a little peeved about this, which in a way is good cause it has them thinking about the bigger picture...

Gotta wonder why I our otherwise active ACLU haven't jumped on this one. They usually are out to get GPD, go figure...

The latest is the Center has had its IP pull the plug as of midnight because they are in violation of the "hate clause" in their contract. Gotta CUA... I'm sure they will soon find another soon, besides this story is all over the media so no big publicity loss here...

Still a media circus probably be more media folks at the Holy Book BBQ than participant and onlookers. More satellite trucks than it takes for a NASA launch...

Everybody from the POTUS to the city commission wannabes have publicly come out against Jones whose Center was until recently a polling precinct...

Well I can't decide if I should join in the tail gate parties at the Swamp or the Koran Burning...

Anything new here , I'll keep you posted....

Ric said...

Latest on the Koran BBQ...

Jones is still planning on going through with his plans for Saturday...

Local authorities are all in a wad over this. There is a UF/USF football game in town the same time and the University and UPD are claiming notched up security,"just in case"...

All local law enforcement types are talking extra man power that day, even above the usual Game Day levels...

I guess they smell jihad in the air...

The street the Center is on is about 1 mile long and GPD will be checking licences on any traffic on that road. Said street unofficially know as "Mile Run" has several large housing complexes and subdivisions of the upper middle class persuasion and they will be effected by the check points.

My wife has several friends from work who live up that way and are they are feeling a little peeved about this, which in a way is good cause it has them thinking about the bigger picture...

Ric said...

The latest is the Center has had its IP pull the plug as of midnight because they are in violation of the "hate clause" in their contract.

Still a media circus probably be more media folks at the Holy Book BBQ than participant and onlookers.

Well I can't decide if I should join in the tail gate parties at the Swamp or the Koran Burning...

Anything new here , I'll keep you posted....

Ric said...

Sorry for the double post Goggle is teasing me again...

Translation oops don't know how i did that...