Summary
A man checked out 100 books from Beachwood Library in Beachwood, Ohio, covering Jewish history, African-American history, and LGBTQ topics, and later posted social media videos showing the books with captions referencing “cleansing” libraries before burning them.
Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative alerted the library about the posts.
The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.
Police say the matter is civil unless he fails to pay. He is now banned from returning to the library.
If I were dictator I would announce a new LGBTQ and African American wing of the library and dedicate it to him, with a placard showing his payment to the library for the books he has to pay back, but he doesn’t deserve to have his name anywhere…
I think having his name represented on something in which he hates is absolutely deserved and hilarious.
Just remind yourself that if that were the case you absolutely would be a dictator.
The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.
Police informed CCPL that, because a contract was entered when the books were borrowed, failure to return or pay for the books would become a civil matter turned over to the city prosecutor.
Should the man return to the Beachwood Library, he will be banned from the property.
Shoutout to libraries. Absolute diamonds in the rough. Burn books? Whatever, people don’t return books all the time. When they’re overdue, here’s the bill, next!
We don’t live in the age of books anymore. Shit like this is ignorant and fascist but also just symbolic. Libraries are cornerstones of a free society, but the physical paper itself isn’t nearly as important anymore. It’s hilariously replaceable.
I want the list of books. “Banned” and “burned” books go hard as hell. Maybe even files for the m@tes to get 'em all at once. The modern age can undo all this idiot’s work with a single link.
“Banned” and “burned” books go hard as hell
Every library I’ve been to in the last 5 years has had a poster of “banned books” specifically to advertise them because people (especially teenagers) love that shit.
The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.
honestly that’s hilarious as fuck 😂
Librarians are pretty chill, unless you’re a loud talker hehe
How is that not criminal destruction of property? Some of those books may not even be replaceable. 😠 You could also say criminal intimidation of protected minority groups by an obviously targeted political act.
Because the man was legally in possession of them at the time. It’s the same reason that you have to go through a tedious process to have your car reported stolen if you let someone borrow it and don’t bring it back.
Project Gutenberg is ensuring that all books are 100% replaceable. Don’t worry, this ignorance cock hasn’t done anything that can actually interfere with people being able to obtain and read any of the material he’s taken.
“this ignorant cock hasn’t done anything that can actually interfere…”
He absolutely has. Stop being a pushover. In the coming weeks this will be normalised American behavior. Push back.
I think we may have different definitions for “replaceable”.
Digital copies are serviceable, they are by no means a replacement.
“Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen.” - Heinrich Heine
Book burners have never once been on the right side of history.
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Same as it ever was.
Take away his library card!
“He is now banned from returning to the library.”
It’s in the article.
Wait…is this for real?..Typically there is a limit to how many books you can check out…
At my library, that limit IS 100 books.
My kid regularly has ~60 books checked out. It’s kind of a problem lol
But what an awesome problem to have!
Have they learned about the wonders of interlibrary loans yet? (And Anna’s Archive, if they don’t mind digital…)
Kinda? We have a couple library groups and he gets books held from them and delivered to the local member library. No digital since they’re young and we’re trying to minimize screen time.
Feels counter productive to limit screen time for an actual good habit… Screen time isn’t a real problem. What you do IS.
It would be like limiting book time just cause you don’t like paper.
No, screen time is the problem at the moment (also not able to read as of yet). We can see a measurable decrease in good behavior/increase is bad behavior after screen time, even when it’s educational stuff.
I appreciate your concern, but I’m the one who has to deal with 20 minutes of screaming about not wanting to go to the bathroom and trying to defend myself without hurting them on days after they get screentime. My life is hard enough without actively making my kid’s behavior worse than it is already. And I’d love for there to be an easy fix, but every professional we’ve talked to so far tells us we’re already doing most/all they recommend…
According to chatgpt:
Yes, in addition to eye strain and sleep disruption from blue light, there are several other significant downsides to extended screen time—even when the activity is productive, like reading or learning:
- Physical Health Effects
Neck and back pain: Poor posture during screen use (like slouching or craning your neck) can lead to musculoskeletal issues, especially “tech neck.”
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI): Extended typing or mouse use can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.
- Mental Fatigue & Decreased Focus
Cognitive overload: Constant digital input and task-switching (e.g. checking tabs, alerts) can reduce focus and increase mental fatigue.
Reduced comprehension: Studies show that reading on screens may impair deep reading and comprehension compared to reading on paper.
- Dry Eyes / Reduced Blink Rate
People blink less frequently when staring at screens, leading to dry, irritated eyes.
- Headaches and Migraine Triggers
Prolonged exposure, especially in flickering or poorly lit environments, can lead to headaches or trigger migraines in sensitive individuals.
- Reduced Physical Activity
Long sedentary periods contribute to health risks like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and even reduced life expectancy.
- Mood and Mental Health Impacts
Excessive screen time is correlated with increased rates of anxiety, depression, and reduced sleep quality—even when content is educational.
After “fuck this maniac,” this was my second thought.
He’s aware that the whole book burning thing was something that the German Nazis, the one various nations had a war with, did, yeah?
They are well aware. They are following the same playbook.
These people think the only bad thing that the Nazis did was lose. They think the Nazis were too soft, and they intend to me much stronger this time around.
I’m not German. So obviously I can’t be a Nazi.
“ThE NaZiS wErE sOCiALiSt aNd iM nOt SoCiaLiSt”
Yes. These people know exactly what they’re doing.
The thing that actually genuinely confuses me is the fact that most of these people are proud that we beat the German Nazis.
I don’t how long Hitler’s reign lasted, but for how short the Confederacy was, these losers began looking at other losers to try and become one giant loser. How our most “patriotic” nationalistic MAGA losers went to Nazism still baffles me, since the propaganda I was taught was that Naxi Germans were bad and evil.
In fact, I was taught alot of propaganda that Russia and China and Nazis are all evil monsters. Now these losers think Russia taking over Ukraine is a win, we’ve shot ourselves in the foot dealing with China and the world, and Nazis are mainstream.
Sometimes I wanna save our nation, but then I look at MAGA and how loud this “minority” is. Then you dig deeper into history and this isn’t even the first occurance this has happened in the US (concentration camps, slavery, war, citizen manipulation, etc etc)
Nuance about the police, government, and politics are gone. I used to have hope our system was initially working, and that it could be fixed. But now: I wanna burn it all down and start again like it’s 1774, or leave to someplace more empathetic where people can understand the basic concept of “don’t hurt others, hurting people is bad”
Cognitive dissonance is their standard mode of operation.
Stare into the abyss for long enough, and the abyss will start staring into you.
Or whatever that means.Pretty sure it’s a reference to goatse
I don’t think this is a particularly bright segment of the population we’re talking about here.
Neither were the original Nazis, to be fair. Stupid people tend to admire stupid people who unapologetically flaunt their stupidity.
This should be charged as a hate crime or incitement
Terrorism
What a horrible human being. If destroying books or repressing knowledge is part of your dogma you are on the wrong side of history.
1 year for every book seems an appropriate sentence
1 year for every book seems an appropriate sentence
No! An appropriate sentence would end in a period, question mark, or exclamation point!
Ouch you got me right in the pedantry
THEY DID IT AGAIN!
I believe it would be appropriate if he were to experience what he put all those books through.
Police say the matter is civil unless he fails to pay. He is now banned from returning to the library.
Pretty sure Destruction of Public Property is a crime in most jurisdictions.
Shows which way the police lean, doesn’t it?
It’s almost more shocking that the library allowed to check out all those books. There can’t be a legitimate reason to do so, even if he said he needed to reference them all for a thesis or something like that
Some of those titles may have been requested from other libraries in the same library system. My library limits me to, say, 20 books. But I can request another 20 from Second Library one town over, and another 15 from Third Library two towns over. The books all get sent to My Library and placed on the hold shelf for me, and checked out at My Library. Each library has their own lending policy.
Yeah, it’s messed up. Grumble grumble rude butthead that would check out 80+ DVDs at a time and yell at you if you didn’t check in his returns fast enough (so he could max out his checkouts again).
Yeah the limit at my library is 14, which is more than generous even if you happen to be researching a topic for a report / thesis etc.
Good thing it wasn’t a Tesla, then “the man” would be doxxed by mainstream media outlets, he’d be tried as a terrorist, and the cops would have been deep into investigations before the sun came up.
