2.compute.amazonaws.com> 4dede08e   
   XPost: rec.arts.tv   
   From: weberm@polaris.net   
      
   atropos@mac.com wrote:   
   > Ubiquitous  wrote:   
      
   >> An online bookstore that advertised itself as being committed to sharing   
   >> ideas, even those which are deemed controversial, has removed titles from   
   >> conservative authors amid backlash.   
   >>   
   >> Television host and activist RuPaul is a co-founder of the "all-inclusive"   
   >> online bookstore Allstora, according to National Review. He started the   
   >> online store with LGBTQ advocate and author Eric Cervini and drag performer   
   >> Adam Powell.   
   >>   
   >> The site advertised that they would carry titles from authors of all points   
   >> of view, and books for sale on the site initially ranged from Adolf Hitler's   
   >> "Mein Kampf" to the graphic, controversial coming-of-age book "Gender   
   Queer".   
   >>   
   >> "We're a marketplace for all books and all stories, with a focus on   
   elevating   
   >> marginalized voices," the site originally touted, according to NR. "You may   
   >> find books you disagree with," a pop-up ad warned, while the FAQ page said,   
   >> "Allstora has made the decision to carry all books" and "censorship of any   
   >> book, perspective, or story is incompatible with the survival of democracy."   
   >>   
   >> "Banning books is never the answer," the site's messaging, which has since   
   >> been deleted, said, according to The Mary Sue. "We cannot fight the   
   >> ideologies of hate if we lack the ability to study, understand, and react to   
   >> them. We do that by reading books."   
   >>   
   >> However, left-wing activists were outraged that Allstora offered titles by   
   >> Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Matt Walsh, Riley Gaines, and Libs of TikTok   
   founder   
   >> Chaya Raichik, among others. At first, the website's founders attempted to   
   >> diffuse tension by promising to create "a community-led flagging system for   
   >> titles that are contrary to our core values and donating all proceeds from   
   >> these titles to fight book bans," National Review noted.   
   >>   
   >> But that wasn't enough. After three days of critics railing against Allstora   
   >> for selling "homophobic", "transphobic", "anti-woke", and "Nazi" books, the   
   >> founders relented and removed all free speech messaging from the page. Many   
   >> works by conservative authors were removed from the page, while some other   
   >> titles remained available.   
   >>   
   >> The drama comes on the heels of RuPaul announcing a "Rainbow Book Bus" that   
   >> seeks to distribute "diverse books to communities facing book bans and   
   >> censorship, especially in LGBTQ+ communities". The bus will embark on a   
   cross   
   >> country tour later this year, the DRAG RACE host told People during an   
   >> interview this month.   
   >   
   >Just goes to show you how downright hypocritical leftists are when the   
   >screech about "Republican book bans".   
   >   
   >They'll ban a book in the blink of an eye if it doesn't meet their   
   >ideological rigor.   
      
   As it's been said before:   
      
   Leftists only believe in Free Speech when it agrees with them.   
      
   Leftists accuse others of doing what they practice.   
      
   --   
   For every interest group that says it's being silenced, for all the people who   
   think they're   
   not permitted to talk back to power, there are the real rest of us for whom the   
   din is   
   deafening.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)