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| My Letter to Borders Books - and Western Standard ORIGINAL OPINION |
| 2006-04-05 |
| I'm a little late in doing this, but I've been swamped and just now got the chance. This is the letter I sent to Borders Books today: Mr. Greg Josefowiczm Chief Executive Officer Borders Group, Inc. 100 Phoenix Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Dear Mr. Josefowiczm: As you can see by the enclosed letter, I have sent the money I would have spent at Borders to the Western Standard to assist them in their defense of free speech. I find your decision not to carry the issue of Free Inquiry magazine which featured cartoons depicting Mohammad to be cowardly and short-sighted. Anyone can stand up for free speech when no one else objects; what counts is what we do when the going gets rough. By giving in to threats, you have shown your true character. You have also informed any and all individuals or groups who object to some book or magazine you sell in your store how they may have it removed. Since almost every book is objectionable to someone, soon you will have nothing to sell. As a bookseller, Borders should stand up for liberty and free speech; instead, you have chosen the shame and slavery of self-censorship. To slightly misquote one of our Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams: If you love wealth greater than liberty, and the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go from us in peace. We seek not your counsel. Crouch down and lick the hand that threatens you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. This is the letter I sent to Western Standard today: Western Standard Legal Defence Fund Western Standard 205-1550 5th Street SW Calgary, Alberta Canada T2R 1K3 Gentlemen: As you can see by the enclosed letter and check, I am sending you the money I would have spent at Borders Books for use in your defense of free speech. Thank you for standing up for the freedom our U.S. Constitution guarantees us in its First Amendment. As an American, I am ashamed (but unfortunately not surprised) that Canadians and Danes are more interested in the defense of free speech than our own media, and that you seem to understand better than our media that freedom of speech includes freedom to offend. The antidote to speech that offends people is not censorship but more speech (by those offended) to counter that speech they find offensive. The check is in U.S. dollars, which I presume will be acceptable. If a foreign check presents a problem, please let me know the best way to contribute. Borders will never see me or my money again. |
| Posted by:Barbara Skolaut |
| #13 The muzzies won't pull the crap here, that they try to pull around the rest of the globe, cuz' we gots policemen with guns. That's pretty much it. They know they won't get away with it like they do elsewhere. I can understand the business owner's sentiments--he's responsible to his employees and he DOESN'T carry a gun to back up his freedom of speech as store policy, so conceivably, any back up would be after the fact. He's not willing to risk that. The only problem is when you admit fear, the muzzies really like it. Don't think I can blame him, though. I wouldn't want some stupid-ass Islamofacist coming in with an attitude (and a suicide belt). Guess if he was a shop owner with no employees it might be different. Hope so. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2006-04-06 00:01 |
| #12 NB: Joseph-Beth called me back. They do stock Free Inquiry, and are holding one of this issue, and will hold one of the next one for me. I feel loved... and triumphant! And the sales girl agree with me that none of the Muslims we know are the kind of people who go around knifing those who disagree with them, and were we Muslim, we'd be highly insulted if a corporation feared that we would. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-04-05 20:33 |
| #11 To Borders credit, they didn't hide behind some weasily PC crap about 'respect' like 98% of the MSM. They came straight out and said, we won't carry the magazine because we are afraid of what will happen if we do. Don't make it right, but as the man said, we are running a business here. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-04-05 20:32 |
| #10 Frank, I don't think he tried to claim any integrity at all. He's worried about his employees and customers getting home without having to stop at the hospital and making money. He was in the grocery business. He'll sell whatever you'll buy under those conditions. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-05 20:28 |
| #9 NS - so long as Borders doesn't all the sudden get balls when it's a controversial book about Christianity...admit you're afraid of employees getting hurt and killed by Islamonuts - put a display sign in the entry way. Show some integrity all the time or quit trying to claim integrity when you publish "Piss Christ" art books |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-05 19:31 |
| #8 That would be an error. We aren't all from blue states. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-05 18:06 |
| #7 "The small booksellers are not targets." Everybody is a target to the islamonazis, including you and me. They're just picking the big ones first; once they get the big ones under their thumb, they figure everyone else will have to fall in line. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-05 17:53 |
| #6 I want to keep my employees and customers alive is a pretty good defence. The small booksellers are not targets. You are certainly free to not purchase from Borders, but their decision is not without reason, either. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-05 17:50 |
| #5 Thanks, NS - I saw that. "Nobody else is doing it" is not a defense. Odd how small independent bookstores will carry the magazine, but a big one like Borders will not. They have chosen the self-imposed slavery of self-censorship. That's their right. It's also my right to tell them I disagree, and to not give them any of my money. But when self-proclaimed Christians* start threatening them if they sell anti-Christian books or magazines, what are they going to do? The camel's nose is already under the tent, and most of the American media - not just Borders - have lifted the tent flap and invited the camel inside. *I know a real Christian wouldn't resort to violence, but that won't stop a lot of faux ones. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-05 17:43 |
| #4 Ms Skolaut, You may be interested in some of the response Josefowiczm sent to Charles Johnson. The whole thing is here Now you and the other bloggers who are sitting around safe in your undisclosed locations may feel that I have a duty to carry the 46 copies of Free Inquiry magazine I'm going to sell chain-wide in the next month. You know, the one with those drawings of the Prophet (Peace be upon his raggedy ass.). You might feel I should do this in the name of being the last, best bastion of Free Speech in America. I feel your pain, but after due consideration I must respectfully instruct you all to just pound sand. Who do you think we are up here in Ann Arbor, the 82nd Airborne? Let's review. Embassies and other buildings set on fire. People injured and killed for months across the globe. Islamics freaking out everywhere. (Very excitable and childish culture and religion that.) All because some newspaper way up in the corner of Denmark pumps out a few drawings. And no major US newspapers prints them. No major US media shows them. No real action from the US government other than tongue clucking. And everywhere around the world there has been no significant moment when these whack job Muslims are getting their asses roundly and dependably kicked for rioting. Nope, there is no place outside of Afghanistan and Iraq where violent Muslims are getting their asses kicked by government or the press. You want this shit to stop and people able to draw and publish what they want anywhere in the world at any time without being afraid of getting a bread knife in gut from some hyperventilating Islamic idiotarian with a religiously implanted mental disorder? Start getting governments that can grow a pair at home as well as overseas, and start kicking some Muslim ass whenever and wherever this crap gets started. Don't come bitching to me that Borders has to step up and take the hit. Is it really the case that your guys expect me, after months of watching this global governmental cowardice in the face of Islamic intimidation go down, to pin a big "Kick Me" sign on the backs of every one of my employees? Dudes, I worked in the grocery business for most of my career and if I am the last line of defense here, log off and head for the mountain redoubt with a box lunch because the terrorists have won. I can't believe that your guys expect me to step up and make my company the front line of defense against the Muslim hordes which, as far as I can see, get a free pass to do whatever they want whenever they show up in groups of like two? Like I said, I run a bookstore not an army. You bloggers want the Muslim idiots brought under control so that Free Speech takes place everywhere and not just in the magazine section at Borders? Tell it to the Marines. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head down to the main floor, fire that quisling who's writing tell-all email, rearrange some Korans, and check out our new window display of Glenn Reynolds' "An Army of Davids." Good book that, its just blowing out of the stores. I don't care if he did call me a coward. A man's gotta know his limitations. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-05 16:58 |
| #3 Hate following Samuel Adams, but if political cartoons are "not allowed" then whose politics are ruling the day? This symbolism is NOT LOST on the muzzies. Thanks for the info Barbara -- good letter, and I won't purchase from Borders either. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2006-04-05 16:13 |
| #2 Thanks, TW. I see that the italics and underlining didn't copy from the Word documents. Had to take advantage of the short lull I had, & didn't have time to check carefully before I posted. Oh, well - the words are the same. I doubt my letter will give Mr. J any heartburn, but it made me feel better. As did sending that check, which is on its way to Canada even as we |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-05 15:56 |
| #1 Well written, Barbara. I think I need to inform Mr. Josefowiczm ( =Josephson?) that I've taken my Border's-linked Visa card out of my wallet until further notice. Without the percentage of purchases kickback, my family will just as happily wallow in another bookshop. ***** For all of you in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, Joseph-Beth Booksellers has just ordered a copy of issue in question for me. I'll be there Sunday afternoon, plus whatever they stock that my bookshelves lack. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-04-05 14:00 |