Adding Points to the Compass.

Driving by churches up and down the way, I have always admired how creative people can get with modifying cliches and other sayings to bring a religious message across. I've even remarked about how some techniques, such as a fake hundred dollar bill with a message on the bottom side, left on a counter or other such place, is remarkably effective. Recently, however, I have found that outright deception is used, and it's not something I approve of, especially when it comes to my place of work.

Recently, I have found bookmarks inside of our copies of Philip Pullman's Golden Compass, that on the one side says "Golden Compass Collectible," and on the other is a tract decrying the philosophies of the book and providing scriptures that go against the plot. Now, while I know that, in the end, God becomes the bad guy, and certainly, to people of Christian faith, the turning of a children's fantasy to a allegory of atheism one would offend, I do not approve of the deceptive use of a bookmark to spread messages against the book itself. If I allowed this, I would just as well let PETA put animal abuse brochures in copies of Old Yeller or have NAMBLA put messages about pedophilia in copies of The Gift of Fear. Borders, and all places that sell or loan books (like libraries) have a policy of anti-censorship. But this goes the other way as well. It would be against our policy to let other groups come in and include their points of view in books that are already here to be sold.

Let them come and stand outside our door and tell people, this book is evil, (which, btw, they didn't do until the movie came out. I read the books some years ago.), or write their own books and sell them alongside, but deceiving people by using a bookmark is wrong and they were subsequently all thrown away.

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A short blog. Not one I had anticipated writing, but that's what blogs are for, to provide a medium for journaling, an instant recording of thoughts and feelings when the time arises.

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Oh, and who said that it was time to bake Georgia in an oven at 350 degrees.... it was too hot today... I am looking forward to my next days off, when I can go, maybe, to the lake and swim. Hopefully the water is warm enough, and the cars have enough gas .