my rant of the day

Mo. man burns books as act of protest

A used bookstore owner burns several books "in protest of what he sees as society's diminishing support for the printed word."

Personally, I see this as rather selfish. There are dozens of public libraries in New Orleans and other hurricane damaged areas that are desperate for books to replace the thousands of books that were destroyed. Perhaps some of those books are unwanted by the libraries; however, some might be needed.

Other places that can use books include homeless shelters, shelters for battered women, hospitals, senior centers, shelters for runaway teens, nursing homes and other residential care homes.

My Dad and Step-mom drop off their used magazines at Kaiser Permanente waiting rooms so that folks may have interesting things to read while waiting. Some Kaiser Permanente employees do the same thing. I'm considering doing this also, if I can get myself to part with some of my magazines.

I have two boxes of books in excellent condition that I simply don't need any more. I plan on taking them to three or four used bookstores to see if I can get a bit of cash for them. Whatever I can't sell, I'll donate somewhere. I'd never burn them.