A defector from the on-its-last-legs white supremacy group World Church of the Creator stole over $40,000 of the group’s books, including the title “The White Man’s Bible,” and sold them to the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) for $300. The MHRN commissioned sculptor Tim Holmes to create an exhibit with the books. “Holmes has already begun work on the exhibit. He turned one of the hate books into an ax, another into a mace and another into a Molotov cocktail. He encased ‘‘The White Man’s Bible” in glass and drove a spike through ‘‘American Jihad.”” More here from the Missoulian. Meanwhile, someone at the Missoula Independent wondered if the art exhibit was akin to book-burning.
A defector from the on-its-last-legs white supremacy group World Church of the Creator stole over $40,000 of the group’s books, including the title “The White Man’s Bible,” and sold them to the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN) for $300. The MHRN commissioned sculptor Tim Holmes to create an exhibit with the books. “Holmes has already begun work on the exhibit. He turned one of the hate books into an ax, another into a mace and another into a Molotov cocktail. He encased ‘‘The White Man’s Bible” in glass and drove a spike through ‘‘American Jihad.”” More here from the Missoulian. Meanwhile, someone at the Missoula Independent wondered if the art exhibit was akin to book-burning.The story of the defector is a pretty interesting one in iteself, as his break with the group had nothing to do with a change of heart, and everything to do with his disillusionment with the group itself.
The church, which has renamed itself the “Creativity Movement” after losing a copyright case, is thought to be in serious decline. Its former leader, Matt Hale, has been in jail for over a year, charged with soliciting the murder of a judge. Hale raised the profile of the group before his arrest by meeting in public libraries, many of whom denied the group access. Hale often sued for access, and got a great deal of press from the meetings, which often drew more protesters than participants.
Book burning
The thing I liked about this article was that it got me thinking about really what book burning tries to accomplish. Is turning it into art doing the same thing?
Yes and no. Certainly the voice inside the book, however you might disagree with it, is being silenced by the mutilation of the book. On the other hand, they’re not wiping out the fact that these ideas exist by utterly obliterating the works. I have not seen the art, but I’m assuming you can still tell it’s a book about white supremacy. I’m assuming.
The verdict is out with me whether this is the same, really. I think it certainly makes for bad art (sorry, sounds like the type of art I made in high school), and at least some of the books should be kept intact for historical reasons.
I think it was this group that tried to come to some PLs in Virginia a few years back when I was living there… or some group very similar in nature.
Makes you appreciate only having to rent out your rooms to the YMCA.
and actually…
It’s illegal to keep stolen goods in the US, even if you pai money in good faith.
— Ender, Duke_of_URL
Re:Book burning
The thing I liked about this article was that it got me thinking about really what book burning tries to accomplish. Is turning it into art doing the same thing?
In this case, yes. Even if the books were legally their property I would equate this with book burning. This is not at all like the SF Library system reclaiming the many damaged books there by turning them into art, although I will allow the principals in this case seem to have the same idea. They are still destroying the books to destroy the ideas the books contain, though. In my not so humble two cents.