Last week, as I was pursuing Facebook, I came across this article on Bustle about book crimes in Colorado being on the rise. As I was reading it, the fellow book-lover in me began cringing and became very concerned. So, naturally I decided to write about my concerns in an article about how Colorado isn't the only state in which these book crimes are increasing. They're mounting everywhere, and we should work together to help them end!
Book crimes predate the middle ages, dating back to the burning of the Library of Ashurbanipal in 612 BC. But the first one you probably remember occurring would have been the Harry Potter series burnings. In 2001, a bonfire was made in New Mexico consisting of Harry Potter books alongside other "works of the devil" such as Stephen King novels and ouija boards. Being (probably) the world's biggest Harry Potter fan at the young age of eight years old at the time, I was appalled that anyone would burn a book, especially one as amazing as Harry Potter! Looking back on myself at that young age, I am pleased that I didn't become frightened of the book because of it's "undeniable" tie to Satanism, but rather I questioned the judgement of those burning the books.
More recent book burnings have occurred since the burning of the Harry Potter books in 2001, however, the most recent burning being the National Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014. Yes, you read that correctly, we are still burning books in the present day. Why are we still burning books, you ask? Well, mostly it is because people do not agree with the things being written in those books. Because humans have to burn the books in order to show others how awful they truly are rather than just not reading them and explaining why to those they know. The reasons for the burnings of buildings holding archives are normally riots hating on the cities they're in, so they decide to burn down buildings holding information that cannot be replicated or remembered any longer.
Even more recently, Colorado has experienced book crimes in forms other than burnings. For example, Glenn Pladsen, age 62, decided that instead of donating the thousands of romance novels he no longer needed, he would just throw them out of the window while traveling down the highway. Now, had he just taken the time to Google something as simple as "Arvada book donations," he would have been given multiple libraries that are/were accepting donations, and he would not be facing 30 hours of community service or a hefty fine for littering.
Also occurring in Colorado in recent months was the burning of a Little Free Library. A Little Free Library is a little box that is put up so you can take a book currently placed in the box in return for leaving a new book. You're probably thinking, who would think to burn down this great invention?! Well, so far officials are unsure who attempted to burn down the Little Free Library that was built in a citizen's front yard, but someone certainly tried! However, their attempt was to no avail, as following the incident, even more books have been placed in this Little Free Library in response to the arsonist's actions.
Growing up hearing about crimes against books, I was disturbed and felt badly for those who felt the need to cause a scene because they didn't agree with a decision an author made. Being an adult who is currently reading about these crimes, I am just appalled. As the Earth gets older, you would expect those who live on it would become wiser and less inclined to force their beliefs upon others—but it is, in all honesty, getting much worse. The book burnings and other miscellaneous book crimes will surely continue to rise again, as they have in the past, and will continue to occur. It is up to those of us who love to read, and others who just would like for their family members to continue to read, to help rid the world of these horrible happenings. Respect your books, donate them to a library. Don't burn things you don't agree with, or things that make you unhappy. Just don't read them. Help to cure the ignorance that continues to grow in this world.
