[Dean's World] Andrew Cory: Dear CEO of Borders,

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Andrew Cory:
Dear CEO of Borders,
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1144092918.shtml


   I read with great interest your [1]comments about the free inquiry
   situation. I will take you at your word: this was not a commercial
   decision, but rather one designed to protect your employees. Now, as
   it happens, I work for the competition. We=E2re selling the magazine.
   There haven=E2t been any riots, though my friends in the kid=E2s section
   would liken a typical Friday night to one...

   Your decision is the wrong one. As it happens, I=E2ve looked at the
   comics in question. They are offensive. I tend to think that many
   people who want to see the cartoons published are taking a sort of
   sick glee in the fact that the cartoons are offensive. I=E2m not one of
   them. I happen to take pride in the fact that I live in a society
   where anyone can publish anything they can find an audience for.
   Dealing with the sick fuckers who created those cartoons is just the
   price I pay for having my own beliefs represented...

   You=E2ve written that "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." Let=E2s ignore the
   stupid characterization of Muslims as "idiots" (how many Muslims work
   for you?), and concentrate on the big fat misnomer here: there is no
   "free speech" occurring on your shelves. You=E2ve created a situation
   where the [2]Heckler=E2s Veto trumps freedom of speech...

   Where might it end? At what point do you, Gregory P Josefowicz, you
   personally draw the line? What freedoms do you protect? I=E2d like to
   see the line drawn commercially, whatever sells is sold. You think
   that whatever is inoffensive should go on the shelves. Soon you=E2ll
   have only a kid=E2s department=E2and only half of that...

   Your decision was wrong. There are no such things as ideas which are
   offensive to no one. The riots you were afraid of have not
   materialized in those stores with the gonads to carry it. You lost
   more than a few sales. You lost the chance to be a good American. You
   had a chance to stand up for the ideals our soldiers are fighting for.
   You missed it. Our whole country is the poorer for it...

References

   1. http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/006243.php
   2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler%27s_veto