This is scary.

I have pretty much steered clear of hotly debatable political, social and religous issues on this blog so far, in order to avoid injustice to a serious topic through superficial coverage. However, this piece of news from Andrew Sullivan, had me really alarmed:

THEOCRACY WATCH II: I missed this quote from Alabama state rep Gerald Allen, who wants to ban public funds for any books "that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." What of existing books by, say, Whitman or Auden or Proust, and other degenerates? We have the answer:

Allen said that if his bill passes, novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed. "I guess we dig a big hole and dump them in and bury them," he said.

Why not burn them instead? Among the books Allen wants to "bury" are "The Color Purple," "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Brideshead Revisited." Public schools would be barred from performing "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." I used to read these kinds of stories and dismiss them. But in Karl Rove's Republican party, how is this in any way out of place?

Obviously, it would be very difficult to pass this kind of legislature (although I might not really be suprised if it did) and this guy is trying to get some political mileage by making this an issue. But the fact that an elected official could even suggest something on the lines of one of the most despicable acts of the last century is quite scary.

More on this and suggested forms of protest here.






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