Burning books – even religious ones – is an act of defiance, aggression, and passion that sits on the precipice of reason and opens the door to the specter of violence. Is this really a protected form of “speech”? Doesn’t this look more like 21st century meets 14th century version of marauders raping and pillaging to humiliate the village and emotionally debilitate the surviving male (warriors) – but there is a probable subtext (causal action and reaction)– no matter how covert – which is for the purpose of drawing out an impassioned, and predictable response of violence that will beget an ‘I told you so.’ And thus propagate further violence.
This is called ‘self fulfilling prophecy’. Aren’t we, all of us are now being manipulated by an extremist fringe view, just the kind of view we say we detest and remain in war over. And we shall live and raise our children in the increasingly unstable aftermath.
If you came and burned my religious books, I can guarantee that my first reaction would not be one of tranquil discourse on your deeply considered reasons why.
WWYD, if someone was burning the book that belongs to you?
