The library: It’s a hallowed hall of gamut-running ideas. It’s a shrine to diversity of thought. It’s the ultimate First Amendment center.
Sometimes.
Other times, as it turns out, it’s a place in Chattanooga.
As reported by The Associated Press, Cameron Williams is a subscriber to social consciousness.
He’s organized protests against police brutality.
He’s also ignited books by Ann Coulter — ones, by the way, belonging to townspeople in Tennessee.
Call it a viral video: Back in December, Cameron posted a clip to Instagram that was really…hot.
Star of the show: The fires he was starting in order to destroy copies of New York Times best-selling How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must).
"How To Talk To A Liberal (If You Must)" by @AnnCoulter. I was an 18 year old high school dropout from Los Angeles when I read it, and I've been a fire breathing conservative ever since. https://t.co/RJq7PZYGWn
— Trumpsexual (@AllAmericanEric) January 29, 2020
Also in flames: Crippled America, by Donald John Trump.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Cameron incinerated the authors’ offerings while playing YG/Nipsey Hussle Trump protest song “FDT” (I’ll let you guess what that stands for, but the first word isn’t “Forgive”).
Mr. Williams has since been let go from his position at the Chattanooga Public Library. As relayed via official statement, he “violated City and Library policies by improperly removing items from the Library’s collections.”
Cameron Williams, known by his rapper name “C-Grimey,” was placed on paid administrative leave by a Tennessee library because of a video of him apparently burning books by conservative authors. https://t.co/J4fFcBsJFx
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) February 15, 2021
But Cameron sees it differently. He believes it’s a case of the CPL being “political.”
Additionally, he insists, it’s due to something far more sinister.
He told the Free Press that — while he did take the books — that didn’t violate policy.
Through his attorney, Cameron explained, he attempted a deal with the library wherein he’d give back some of the taken text and pay for works which “could not be returned.”
The library balked.
And to hear him tell it, there’s some evil goin’ round:
“I really believe that this was political.”
Hold on to your hoo hats:
“It’s definitely a perpetuation of white supremacy. None of this would have never ever ever been a problem if someone who doesn’t believe in me speaking for equality for Black people wouldn’t have reported it.”
Some might say he should’ve used “equity.”
Nonetheless, Library Executive Director Corinne Hill seems unconvinced.
Via press release, she kept it simple:
“The City of Chattanooga has policies in place to protect the public’s interest, and we follow those directives.”
A Chattanooga Public Library employee is now out of a job after admitting to burning library books by conservative authors.@isaiah_km spoke with Cameron Williams, who claims he did nothing wrong.https://t.co/3XwghpcfK1
— WTVC NewsChannel 9 (@newschannelnine) February 12, 2021
Cameron missed a good chance of being in the clear; from the AP:
After Williams’ suspension in December, library spokesperson Christina Sacco said Williams had been recently trained on the library’s “weeding” policy, which describes how and when to remove books from circulation. However, the books in the video were not flagged for removal. Sacco said personal feelings have no place in deciding what materials are removed and any bias in those decisions violates library policy.
No matter, the guy’s most likely on the right side of history: If I correctly understand where we’re headed, nothing says “Progress” like a good old-fashioned book burning.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
Harvard University Launches App to Help BGLTQ Students Find Inclusive Restrooms
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