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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19408
[Civil]
Date Posted:
2/24/2008
6:54:44 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,455
RSS: 16,406
Comments: 25
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Harry Potter Book Burning Photos To Be Sold For Library Fund
Author: Bev Eckman-Onyskow Source: The Alamogordo Daily News (NM)
Title: BOOK BURNING PHOTOS TO BE SOLD FOR LIBRARY FUND
On the evening of Sunday, Dec. 30, 2001, eyes around the world turned, albeit briefly, toward Alamogordo, watching what was to go down in history as the Alamogordo book burning.
Photographer Gerald Moore was there to document it from both points of view, literally from both sides of the street, at Christ Community Church on Scenic.
Now, his series of 17 matted prints of the event are up for sale. He donated them to the Art Auction Gala, which will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1, in the Exhibition Building at the Otero County Fairgrounds. It is a benefit toward funding a new library and cultural center for Alamogordo.
On one side were [Pastor Jack] Brock and members of his congregation. They burned a few books in the Harry Potter series and other titles, and "pornographic magazines," Brock said in a telephone interview Saturday.
Afterwards, Brock wrote in a guest column in the Alamogordo Daily News published Jan. 8, 2002, "The Potter books represent witchcraft as a generally positive practice, while the Bible expressly condemns all occult practices." The result was the "holy bonfire" after evening services Dec. 30.
On the other side were those who vehemently opposed censorship imposed by burning books, and quoted the right to freedom of expression guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Some had brown bags over their heads in protest.
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Community Thoughts: There are 25 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Ugghhh... | Feb 27th. at 6:35:09 pm EST
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Tails Kitsune (Palm harbor, Florida) - Email Me
I think im going to be sick.....
*Vomiting sounds are heard*
Ugghhh... They should not burn books! you know the next thing they are going to burn is People..
From, Tails Kitsune
P.S. Pixie stix are people! ~ An unknown Pixie
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| The Question On My Mind Is... | Feb 27th. at 12:54:35 am EST
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DodiaFae (Rhode Island, Rhode Island) - Email Me
Where did they get the books they burned? Did they buy them? If so, they only added to the number of "copies sold", making the book appear more popular. Hell, the fact that books were burned makes me want to read them! X-D
If they didn't buy them, did they steal them (from a store, local library, etc.) ? Did someone else buy them to donate to the burning? Either way, someone has purchased pornography, and they're going to hell!
I just find this whole thing amusing. Yes, it does draw attention, but it most likely just makes kids want to go out and buy copies of what was burned. That would have been my reaction as a teen.
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| Too Ignorant Of His Own Acts? | Feb 25th. at 8:59:23 pm EST
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Ananta Androscoggin (Greene, Maine) - Email Me
"The Potter books represent witchcraft as a generally positive practice, while the Bible expressly condemns all occult practices."
And since when has the sending of burnt offerings up to heaven NOT been an occult practice? Especially in the eyes of their own church!
Did they think their "omniscient" little godling had no idea what was in any of those books they chose to burn? Was that the only way they could conceive that he would be able to find out?
Such people have no real faith. They say their god is omnipotent, yet they cannot leave heavenly punishments to be dealt out by the agents of that "heaven." That they judge themselves to actually be divine agents is to practice the "sin of pride."
More and more I am beginning to see the monotheistic cultures as the greatest enemy our species has ever known. The more of our world's population they can get to live in their fantasy-world, the less capable the entire species becomes in the matters of sheer survival.
Would you go to a brain surgeon with a sign hanging in his or her office that declared, "All I ever needed to know about medicine I learned in the Bible!"
Any other professional? We're already having trouble with pharmacists who believe that they sit in judgment over their customers.
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| Old News... | Feb 25th. at 7:45:22 pm EST
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Eric Wolfborn (Jenkintown, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
...is old. The articles should have covered the donations and the cultural center, not a poorly covered media circus from years ago. It would have been a nice opportunity to shed some positive light on the idiocy of fundamentalist factions.
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| A Lie | Feb 25th. at 11:07:25 am EST
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Fred Lawrence (Kansas City, Kansas) - Email Me
This article shows that the "Reverend" Jack Brock is a liar. He is quoted as saying that "there was no classical literature burned." This is wrong. I remember reading in news accounts that one book burned was a complete Shakespeare.
Brock is also closer to the Taliban than he would want to admit. In Afghanistan, the Taliban destroyed some massive and ancient statues of the Buddha. At his book-burning, a small statue of the Buddha was burnt.
I have a very strange memory for trivia.
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| Has Anyone... | Feb 25th. at 9:07:27 am EST
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Aritimi Morgana (RotterdamJct/Schdy/Scotia, New York) - Email Me
ever thought about the pollution these yearly book burnings are causing? Maybe that's a way to get them stopped. By burning books, they're putting ash and other crap into the air, which I find offensive along with the idea of destroying books. I think these religious nutcases should be fined for air and noise pollution.
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| Farenheight 451 | Feb 25th. at 7:20:24 am EST
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foreverknightfan (Dardanelle, Arkansas) - Email Me
Book burners, even when they burn books they purchased, are doing whatt heir intolerant ilk have done for centuries. They luierally do not realize that when they have the public bonfires where they burn books, posters and records ( when they were LPs) , the rest of the world sees their acts as ignorant people desperate to retain their ignorance by burning what they consider threats.
At my home town some years ago an Assembly of God preacher burned in a public ceremony Elvis records ( this was after Elvis died) . Nothing was said of Elvis singing gospel music ( which he did) . I remember in the seventies when Christaisnw ould burn books on the " occult" including the Wiccan books. And OC there were the record burnings.
The Christian churches that do this are usually the extreme fundamentalist types. Havet here been public burnings of Bibles? Have Jimmy Swaggart or Pat Robertson books been burned in bonfires? Nope. Guess who does the burning. I've heard some of their rationales for book burnings. Theylive in a world of their own and they are TERRIFIED of anything that would shatter their little trapped minds and encourage them to think, to doubt, to be free to disagree.
The ironic thing about these book burners is that their public ceremonies have a contrary effect to their intent. People want to see what's so bad in these books that offends these little fundie duddies so much.
They discredit their own views and their faith when they dothese book burnings.
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| *groans* | Feb 24th. at 10:19:06 pm EST
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Lady Eagle Spirit (Austin, Texas) - Email Me
This article is so far off the mark of what it was to cover...the donation of photographs of an infamous event in the history of censorship. Instead, it goes into the event of the burning itself, which is just over 6 years old.
Bravo for the gent for donating his pics.. They show a part of history that should not be repeated. At least he is willing to help the library...what about the guys with the lighters? What are they doing to help this public institution? Probably nothing since they are the ones with egg on their faces and crow stuck in their teeth...
*simmers down so she can sleep tonight*
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| Book Burning | Feb 24th. at 9:37:04 pm EST
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Kristy (West Palm Beach, Florida) - Email Me
As long as the books where purchased by the preacher, or a member of the congrenation; whats the problem. It shows them as the classless imbeciles that some of them can be. You'll notice I said some. They are spending money, helping the ecomony, paying for burn permits if their city has them. I think its kind of sad that they feel the need to polute our air with their some. However, paper itself isn't has bad as chemicals to treat carpet or to seal wood floors. I guess that they don't get that buying the books to burn helps the writter.
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| Oh Please | Feb 24th. at 6:34:58 pm EST
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Young Coyote (W. Hempstead, California) - Email Me
There has been a lot of comparison to the Nazi book burnings in this article. In concept they are the same, but not in scope.
I'm more upset over the idea of so much literature being burned. While Harry Potter was the only book that was named, what could be considered "pornographic" to the Rev and his zealots could include novels like "Lolita". Even though I know more will be printed, I don't like the idea of books being destroyed, not even the Bible despite my occassional smart-ass comment.
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| Uninteded Consequences | Feb 24th. at 3:20:08 pm EST
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arinna (Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina) - Email Me
Personally I want to thank this guy for being "the worlds biggest git" as Ron Weasley would say.
If it weren't for him and others like him, I would never have read the Harry Potter books. They were after all childrens novels. But the controversy generated by the fundamentalist crowd piqued my interest.
Now I'm a big fan. I've bought all the hardbacks and the complete audio book set. If you haven't tried the audio books, they're wonderful. Jim Dale, who reads them, is superb.
I wonder how many others became fans due to the efforts of those who sought to censor and condemn these books. And now his actions will fund a new library full of new books he will probably want to burn as well. Don't you just love Karma?
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| Awesome. | Feb 24th. at 2:42:20 pm EST
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Darcie (Sicklerville, New Jersey) - Email Me
More royalties to Ms. Rowling for her awesome books! Too bad no one will ever read them, though. Sigh. They'll just have to print new ones.
I wonder if these neo-Nazis realize that every book they burn supports the author? The holy fervor's been impeding their judgement, it seems.
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| ... | Feb 24th. at 2:22:30 pm EST
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Why would they burn works of fiction? I wouldn't burn a buy-bull. As one of my teachers in magick once said, "Why contaminate the element of Fire?"
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| Commentary | Feb 24th. at 1:41:07 pm EST
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NOVA (New Brunswick, New Jersey) - Email Me
Why was this allowed in a public street?
If this happens in your town. then have a Freedom bonfire, right across the street, wherein Bibles were burned, along with Christian Science and Monitor issues. They cannot ban you if they don't ban the Christians at the same time. ha ha
Try it!
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| Nothing Holy About It. | Feb 24th. at 12:54:04 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
It couldn't have been holy, because nothing holy was actually "sacrificed".
It was a ridiculous and shameful event with all the fervor of Nazi Germany.
While not all literature could be called classic, the fact that any literature at all was burned-regardless of content.
It is in effect, saying, "you shall not write, except what I approve and you shall not read, except what I say you shall read."
If the books are so offensive- they don't have to be read,borrowed, bought or brought home. But to burn any book, no matter what the content, is to decide for others without asking. And an insult to their intelligence.
I wonder how that preacher would feel if someone ransacked his house and burned the books he read because they were not on an "approved" list. After all, much that is in the bible -is- without doubt pretty trashy. And many of those other "good" christian writings are pure drivel at best. However, if one is looking for good tinder--I vote the "Left Behind" series, or those stupid chick tracts, after being run through a shredder would make a nice truly holy bonfire to soothe a backside in winter.
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