Borders and Waldenbooks: Enemies of Free Speech

The powers that be at Borders and Waldenbooks are being held hostage by militant Muslims.

Buffalo, N.Y. (AP) -- Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.

"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority," Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham said Wednesday.

The magazine, published by the Council for Secular Humanism in suburban Amherst, includes four of the drawings that originally appeared in a Danish newspaper in September, including one depicting Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse.

..."We absolutely respect our customers' right to choose what they wish to read and buy and we support the First Amendment," Bingham said. "And we absolutely support the rights of Free Inquiry to publish the cartoons. We've just chosen not to carry this particular issue in our stores."

Paul Kurtz, editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry, said, "What is at stake is the precious right of freedom of expression. Cartoons often provide an important form of political satire ... To refuse to distribute a publication because of fear of vigilante violence is to undermine freedom of press — so vital for our democracy."

He's right.

I can understand concern for customers and employees. However, that hasn't stopped Borders and Waldenbooks from carrying books and magazines that contain information that many people would find offensive and hateful.
For instance, Borders has no qualms about carrying the published works of illustrious authors like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, and Osama bin Laden.

In April, Borders will carry a yet to be released book by Slobodan Milosevic, Defense Speaks: For History and the Future.

What is the late Milosevic's book about?

Description: This look at Slobodan Milosevic's defense statement -- regarding his country, his people, and himself -- accompanies a legal brief by a former U.S. attorney general. The brief suggests that the American government and its European allies exacerbated religious and ethnic differences in Yugoslavia in order to reduce the country to a group of easily colonized mini-states, while each of the NATO powers and their respective media lied to justify the aggression. Detractors of the recent experiences in Iraq who no longer believe the American government's spin on its foreign policy will find much to consider about the 1999 events in Yugoslavia.

That sounds pretty inflammatory, doesn't it? I suspect Milosevic's book could upset a lot of people.

In addition, Ward Churchill has 46 titles available online at Borders.

These are just a few examples of Borders offering explosive publications.
Clearly, Borders isn't afraid to carry controversial material. The stores' shelves are loaded with it.

BUT--

When it comes to a magazine that contains four of the twelve cartoons that were used by militant Muslims to justify massive rioting, destruction, and death, Borders backs down.

It appears that Borders Group Inc. has determined that militant Muslims are likely to respond violently to publications that they don't like.

In other words, Borders Group Inc. believes that Muslims can't be trusted to control themselves and behave in a civilized fashion when presented with images that challenge their beliefs. OK.

I really do understand why the decision to not carry this issue of Free Inquiry was made. Obviously, the cartoon riots have spooked the heads of the chain. A legitimate argument can be made that stocking a magazine that might put customers and employees in physical danger would be irresponsible.

However, for Borders Group, Inc. to shirk its responsibility to the First Amendment is also disturbing. It's censorship.

Do you feel that frequently cited chill wind that the libs are always talking about?

The reality is the Muhammad cartoons are not illegal in the United States. It's not like Borders would be hawking child pornography.

Equally disturbing is the fact that Borders Group Inc. doesn't hesitate to profit from publications containing material that many would deem offensive and dangerously controversial. It happens on a regular basis.

The bottom line:

In the name of protecting its customers, Borders Group Inc. is doing a disservice to its customers.

It is actively undermining cherished and fundamental rights of free people -- Freedom of Speech and Freeom of the Press.



See the other cartoons here.