Burning Books

A used bookstore owner in Kansas City, a town I know very well, set fire to some of his inventory. He said it was in protest over his inability to sell or even give away the books.

I don't know what books he burned. I'm probably better off not knowing. I don't want to think about the cherished volumes he turned to ash. It would make me too upset.

I agree with him that there is a problem. Books seemed to have lost their value. But why did he have to burn them?

I'm sure many schools would have welcomed a donation of his books. Maybe nursing homes. Maybe he could have sent them overseas. In some countries, books are like gold.

But not here. Now we neglect them and, when we have too many, we burn them. What else do you expect in the land of affluence?

I'm upset with the bookstore owner. But his actions point to a larger problem which I'll discuss tomorrow, insha Allah.