Save legal fees, just burn the books
In the Light
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana
In 1932, then a relatively obscure political party, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, received only 37.2-percent (some records relate it was 49.3-percent) of Germany’s popular vote.
It would be the highest total that political party would ever receive.
Because there were no more elections for 19 years.
This isn’t a history lesson because if you don’t know of the many “reforms’ The Nazi party “contributed” to the world … Well.
There ya’ go.
On May 10, 1933, students in Germany, backed by the Nazi government of Adolph Hitler, burned books that didn’t reflect their world view.
Not all of the authors were from Germany or of Jewish heritage.
Also targeted were the writings of Victor Hugo, Ernest Hemingway, D.H. Lawrence, Helen Keller, Jack London, and H.G. Wells.
There have been countless essays, articles, research papers, and even books written about how a country filled with decent people could let the Nazi party come to power.
Maybe someday there will be countless essays, articles, research papers, and even books written about how the United States, a country filled with decent people, could stand by and let any one person in power lead us down a dark path.
Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” has brought out the worst in the leader of the free world, President Donald Trump.
The book has been vetted. There are extensive notes to back up the work, verified and double-checked.
It is not a book of fiction.
With allegations flying back and forth between the author and the President and his backers and inner circle, “Fire and Fury” has been a target of vitriol since excerpts were first released.
The President threatened to quash the book, to file a lawsuit to halt its further dissemination. He demanded a full retraction.
It’s one thing to threaten to file a lawsuit for slander. This is America. Anyone can sue for almost anything.
But to threaten to sue to stop publication? To put the seal of the President of the United States on the threat?
No. This should not happen in our country.
President Trump has attended several rallies supporting the National Rifle Association in support of the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America — the right to bear arms.
But now President Trump seemingly doesn’t want another Constitutional Amendment to be honored; the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech.
It’s a book.
No, it supposedly is not very flattering to the President of the United States.
He should get over it.
He took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.
That includes the First Amendment.
See, you can’t defend the Second Amendment and then attack the First Amendment.
It doesn’t work that way. Because what does that say about us, as a nation, to let that happen?
Will we be pushed to burn what a leader calls “offensive” books next?
Someone needs to step up. Someone needs to have the willingness, the conviction, the patriotism to say this is wrong.
The Nazi party came to power because people were afraid to speak up, to oppose brutality. They were silent.
We can’t be quiet anymore.