Of Course
So we have this thing at the library we call "the dusty book list." It's a computer report our tech guys produce that lists all items that have not checked out for over two years; they are just sitting there collecting dust. We pull them to take a look and most often get rid of them.
One of the requests we get every so often is for books about character and values for parents to read with their kids. I don't ask every patron what their religious preferences are, but I've gotten the impression that the requests for character-building books usually come from conservative Christians.
So we have a whole series of these books with titles like loyalty, courage, and determination. The only two that have been unwanted enough to have made it on the dusty book list are Caring and Generosity.
posted by Degolar @ 4:40 PM
8 Comments:
Caring and generosity? Those are for pussies. Who needs caring and generosity when you have low marginal tax rates and the United States Marine Corps? All problems can be solved by letting the free market handle them. Unless of course, that doesn't work, then you have to kill people. Lots and lots of people. Brown, non-Christian people. And if you don't think that's a good idea then you hate the baby Jesus and are a fag.
What about grown-up Jesus?
Although the really sad thing about this is that it's not just and indictment of the Ricky Bobbies you mock or even the conservative Christians I mention, but all of our library users. No one has checked them out, regardless of values. We may say we want our kids to be caring and generous, but our actions may indicate something else.
Or maybe we can hope that those of us who want our kids to be caring and generous teach by example and not by reading a book about it. This could be a good thing!
CL
Or maybe we don't have kids.
I agree, CL. I obviously believe in the importance of reading and see some value in the idea of bibliotherapy, but I've always been baffled by the parents who come in with a bibliocureseverything attitude. "Can you find me a book that will make my kid stop wetting the bed? How about one that will make him nicer? Or one that will get rid of his cancer?" Happens every day. So you're right, I wouldn't see much purpose in reading those books with my kids. But then I wouldn't have checked out any of the others in the series either.
There's an example. I was just asked for preschool books about listening and cleaning up.
Show them the "how to spank and not leave marks" book. Once the kids see those, they'll mind.
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