DEAR AMY: I am a retired college professor who did years of research about American slavery and slaveholders.
I own a set of very racist 19th-century books that were part of my research.
It is now time for me to reduce the size of my library, but I am afraid to sell these books because, given the mood in our country today and the rise of white supremacy, I’m afraid these books will be bought by people who will be reinforced in their racist ideologies.
I know they can get the books in other ways (if they knew about them), and I don’t believe in burning books. I have offered them to several libraries but to no avail. I am very worried about what to do.
Concerned Ph.D.
Wow...if this is what worries you, you are watching too much CNN.
You have a good heart, but a gay heart. What do you really expect these white supremecists to do with this material? Masturbate?
It is as illogical to believe that white supremacists would find this type of material arousing as it is that they would find it useful.
You have a good heart, but a gay heart. What do you really expect these white supremecists to do with this material? Masturbate?
It is as illogical to believe that white supremacists would find this type of material arousing as it is that they would find it useful.
For the sake of argument, let us suppose that white supremecists are a threat to this nation’s black population. You are concerned that innocent blacks are going to be the subject of violence by racist terror groups. They are planning terrorist attacks on housing projects, night clubs, black owned businesses in black owned neighborhoods. What could this historical information possibly provide them from a standpoint of the logistics of a terror attack?
If that is what you are truly worried about then give the books to the FBI, or the local police so they can laugh at you/donate/burn the books.
If all you care about is people being reinforced in their racist ideologies you’ve done enough harm by teaching history for 30+ years. People will cherry pick what they want from history, and burning your books will not undo that facet of the human condition. People will always think what they want.
