Monday, July 14, 2014

Saving the world from liberals one book at a time

Rant!

I don't want to hear (or read) anyone saying, "Oh, the liberals do it too" because I will tell you you are dead wrong. I have worked at Barnes & Noble now for nearly five years and I can tell you little pisses me off more than this.

Whenever someone the likes of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, President Obama, Michelle Obama, Al Gore, Jr., or Jimmy Carter write a book or are featured on the cover of a magazine I can bet you my entire week's paycheck that every single day I will find that some customers have turned the item around so that its backside is face out so that we cannot see its cover.


Really? REALLY???


Those who do this have so much time to go around creating extra work for us? You might ask what's the big deal? I can tell you right now that Ms. Clinton's book Hard Choices is featured in at least four locations in our store and somehow these people seem to know where each location is and find the time and energy to turn the book around at each location. 


It is utterly ridiculous that someone can act with such immaturity.


These brave people have the time go around saving the world from nasty liberal commies... one book at a time. They are sooooo brave.


Last week, someone pulled a bunch of books entitled History's Greatest Lies from the bargain section and interspersed them with Ms. Clinton's book on the bestsellers' shelf and a table featuring her book.


Really?


A few years back First Lady Michelle Obama published a book on healthy eating and home gardening. I cannot count how many times I heard customer comments "who does that b**ch think she is?"




Oddly enough, I didn't hear similar remarks when Ann Romney's cookbook was released in time for Christmas in 2013. Believe me, if you really think Ann Romney personally cooks her family's meals, I have some prime real estate on Ganymede for sale just for you.



In the time I have worked at the store I have yet to see anyone do the sort of thing to the coloring books from Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Ben Carson, Glenn Beck, Laura, Barbara or President(s) Bush. Not once!

For God's sale. we are a bookstore. We are a bastion of words, ideas and philosophies. We are a place where we share knowledge and discussion over a cup of coffee and a slice of cheesecake but somehow these freakin' small-minded idiots going around turning books around seem to think they that by their actions they are saving the children, saving the undecided, converted the wretched from the words of their supposed enemy. 


Oh, how brave! I think, in reality, they are cowards. They are afraid of those who think differently, and anyone challenging their dark narrow view of the world. They think they are saving the world! 


Part of me thinks that a bookstore rule should exists that command for every Bill O'Reilly book someone purchases that they have to, in turn, buy one from Rachael Maddow or (shudder) from President Obama, but then (gasp) that would mean I would have to buy one of O'Reilly's books. Noooooooo!

Libraries and bookstores are harbingers of discourse and free thinkers. If people cannot handle OR abide by that, maybe they shouldn't go there!


My thoughts on all of these people? Grow up! You're not in high school anymore!