This piece seeks to remind people that hate is more than a word. It is a young man
chained to a fence, beaten and murdered. It is a bombed out building and mutilated books.
It is the denial of basic human rights such as freedom to marry (outside the church) and
to serve our nation openly. Hate, whether hidden beneath the guise of religious or political
convictions, is the destruction of democracy and human individuality.
September 11th changed us as a nation. It was an act of violence and terrorism perpetrated
by those who disagree with our culture and our way of life. We were drawn together by
the perception of a common (and foreign) enemy. But then, there has always been
terrorism from within our country committed by those who share our nationality. From
burning crosses to defaced synagogues to hundreds of vandalized books on Gay and
Lesbian subjects to the creation of discriminatory laws based on sexual orientation, acts of
terrorism by one American onto another is an all-too common occurrence.
In a just society, every book comes in a protective wrapper: one that protects our books,
our freedoms and our rights. In destroying a book one destroys the integrity of this simple
sheet of paper that surrounds it in spirit if not in form.
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