Why would an wealthy scholar vandalize valuable books dating from the Renaissance, carefully cutting out maps and illustrations and then simply stashing them in his home, interleaved into his own books? The horrible thing is, this man knew the value of the works he was damaging. And the damage is irreversible. Some of the images may never be recovered.
He might go to prison. I hope he loses all future library privileges as well.
8 Comments
November 30, 2008 at 11:54 am
That really is horrible … though I had a laugh at your deadpan closing line.
December 1, 2008 at 2:15 am
I feel ill!!!
December 1, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I wonder if he has a mental illness? It’s hard to believe an educated person would act so mindlessly… or maybe he thought he was entitled to? Depressing.
December 2, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Loved your last line, too.
But an odd thing happened. I am catching up on reading your last several posts. I found such an interesting contrast between the renaissance books defilement and the post about the child protection law. I suddenly had the idea that it is not OK to defile priceless books but it is OK to risk defiling priceless human beings. But then I realized that can’t be right.
’splain it to me later.
December 2, 2008 at 9:39 pm
P.S. Because I am quite sure I misinterpreted.
December 2, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Eve: Sigh. I’m not defending child porn, or any sort of defilement of children. I’m defending artists and writers and their artistic output, completely divorced from any real children. Real children abused in creating porn photos or videos = bad. Completely imaginary children abused in a book or drawing = neutral. I think there is a fundamental difference between images of real people and images of imaginary people. And I don’t think that children should see or read these imaginary things either; these kinds of works are for adults.
Neil Gaiman addressed this issue once again on his blog:
“If you accept — and I do — that freedom of speech is important, then you are going to have to defend the indefensible. That means you are going to be defending the right of people to read, or to write, or to say, what you don’t say or like or want said.”
December 3, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Heni, I know you weren’t. You said so already. Clearly I am showing my personal bias.
I would launch into a debate about “hate speech” and such but I’m not up to it at the moment. I’ll have to think about this.
December 6, 2008 at 11:05 am
the wealthy scholar did what he did because he wanted those pages; he had to have them for his very own. it gave him a sense of personal power. he is most definitely mentally ill, but he knows the difference between right and wrong, which is why he hid the pages he stole.