Just returned from my neighborhood Barnes & Noble where I bought Mary Cheney’s book Now It’s My Turn: A Daughter’s Chronicle of Political Life, a book I have been looking forward to reading since I first learned of its impending publication. I knew I couldn’t buy it at A Different Light, my local ostensibly gay bookstore, since BoiFromTroy reported that the book “wasn’t available” there. While he did not find books by this openly lesbian Republican (at the “gay” bookstore), he did find books by straight leftist Noam Chomsky*. I have long since stopped shopping at that bookstore since they prominently featured books by another disingenous straight leftist.
As I said in my comment to Boi’s blog, the “bookstore certainly has the freedom to carry whichever books it wants. And I have the freedom to shop elsewhere.” That’s why I went to Barnes & Noble today to buy the book. As usual when I visit a Barnes & Noble, I delight in the diversity of their selection.
Not only did this bookstore carry Mary Cheney’s book, but they also carried books by other thoughtful conservatives like Victor Davis Hanson — and books by blowhards of the left as well as those of the right. I laughed out loud when I read the blurbs on the back of a book whose subtitle, “Voices of Dissent and the Risk of Speaking Out,” suggests a certain left-wing paranoia. I may lament that my critics do not address the arguments I raise in my posts and often deliver broadsides against me (and others on the right), but I wouldn’t even suggest their attacks pose a risk to my speaking out.
Yet, while Barnes & Noble delights in books of all political perspectives, its rival Borders has chosen not to stock the April/May issue of Free Inquiry because that magazine published 4 of the Mohammed cartoons. Now, just as the West Hollywood bookstore, Borders is free to stock whichever magazines it chooses. And I’m free to shop at Barnes & Noble because that bookstore doesn’t let intimidation get in the way of the pubications it carries. (H/t to Tammy Bruce for reminding me of this story on her Talk Radio 790 KABC-AM radio show Saturday.)
I was delighted to learn that Lambda Rising, a gay bookstore I frequented when I lived in the Washington, D.C. area, is carrying Mary’s book. They were even trumpeting that on their front page when last I checked. Kudos, Lambda Rising.
It is a sign of how politicized our gay culture has become that I would offer kudos to a gay bookstore for carrying the book by the lesbian daughter of the Vice President of the United States.
By so politicizing their selection, my local gay bookstore not only loses a sale from the books they refuse to carry, but by making gay conservatives feel unwelcome, they also discourage us from browsing — and gaining sales from treasures we discover while idly looking around. It was in so browsing nearly a decade ago in Washington’s Lambda Rising that I chanced on Robert Hopcke’s Jung, Jungians & Homosexuality, a book with which I was then unaware. I bought it, just as I bought a book by Hanson which I discovered while browsing in Barnes & Noble today (after having picked up my copy of Mary Cheney’s book).
Just like Borders, my local gay bookstore will surely lose business by discouraging bibliophiles like me from shopping there.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
*I wonder if that bookstore’s owners are aware that Chomsky recently paid tribute to the terrorist organization Hezbollah, whose policies on gays are certainly worse than those of Mary’s father — an outspoken opponent of the Federal Marriage Amendment.
A quick perusal of A Different Lights on-line selection of books reveals biography’s of the Clintons, Gore, books by Carter, and just about every anti-Bush book possible. I seem to remember that the selection used to be quite a bit more diverse when Labonte was running things.
And as have said before about Border’s, I’m sure they have no problem with books that show Serrano’s “Christ in Urine”, but they draw the line at Mohammad.. pfft.
You know GPW, you should put together a reading list of books of interest to gay conservatives. Something that reflects core values, rather than being the usual hit pieces on the Left. Create an Amazon list, you might even get a few pennies from it.
Grpyh, a reading list for gay conservatives, now there’s a good idea. I daresay you couldn’t find any of those books at Different Light — and your comment makes clear theat this bookstore is not a gay bookstore, but a gay leftist one.
Lambda Rising is also prominently displaying a black bumper sticker with white writing that says in large numbers “1-21-09” and then underneath something like “the first day without george w. bush as president.”
Dan, it seems to me that the intolerance routinely practiced by the GayLeft in America is far more intense, unyielding, and viscerally demonstrated than just about anything on the ReligiousRight toward gays in general –for me, it parallels Fred Phelps’ advocacy.
The GayLeft’s close-the-ranks-before-Mary attitude over at BlogAm, AmeriBlog, MyDD, Outsports, and the like is just short of blitheringly rabid; “hate” is too mild to describe the ‘tude. And it’s even worse among those blogs with a decidedly younger audience and master.
I listened to some NPR types go at in “reviewing” her book and you’d have thought it was a cardinal of the roman catholic church assessing the daVinci Code –I swear you could literally feel the spittle coming through the radio speakers. Rabid. Hateful. Sneering.
And all for what? Discrediting someone who brings diversity and can offer a compelling face on the matter of being being gay to Americans caught between the two coasts.
If Dan Rather & Co can prove the point that the MSM is liberally biased, then the GayLeft’s hatchet job of Mary Cheney proves the GayLeft is solidly, unalterably radical Democrat.
Mary Cheney’s political acumen and “voice” could get our community a lot closer to parity on marriage than all the Act-Up whack jobs over at the HRC. But, frankly, I wouldn’t encourage her to cross the street to speak with even Log Cabineers –our community is so mislead by the GayLeft it’ll take several generations to dig us out and mark progress.
Well said, Michigan-Matt. The contempt many on the Left have shown for Mary Cheney is revealing that their animosity toward conservatives precedes their understanding of conservatives individuals — and ideas. Don’t they understand the significance of the Vice President’s making clear — in public — his opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment?
But, I don’t think they want to understand. They just “need” to vent. And the Vice President provides another target for their bile. But, there are exceptions — which I will address — at least on the Mary Cheney issue — in a subsequent post.
I’ll admit that I like the bumper sticker though. 😉 Probably not for the same reason it was intended. Still, some people need reminding that Bush isn’t going to run for election in 2008. They shouldn’t *have* to be reminded of that but they do.
Mary Cheney is big, GOP ass-kissing cunt. She’s hangin with daddy for the inheritence money. As soon as the parents are out of the picutre, she’ll be singing a different tune. Bet on it.
A while back, I went into Different Light in WeHo to pick up David Horowitz’s Unholy Alliance, and the look of pure hatred from the man behind the counter when I asked if they carried the book was truly chilling. Yes, they clobber us all over the head with Michael Moore, et al. Gays in LA need to look at the big picture out there and stop clobbering themselves and their country.
ndtovent –thanks for making the point in such colorful but telling language.
I’ve heard the same radical Democrat talking point come from “friends” here in Ann Arbor about Mary Cheney’s sell-out of gay interests and the promise of untold riches from daddy- and mommie-dearest’s wealth.
Truth be told, like with Mitt Romney’s family inheritance, the Cheney wealth will likely go into a veep foundation to further conservative issues beyond either parent’s lifetime. Gov Romney’s dad, also a governor, placed his assets into a foundation in Michigan promoting volunteerism. Damn those conservatives who try to do good with their wealth!
Friends, this is why there’s really no point in ever trying to point out how utterly nonsensical liberals are. Just let them talk. They do it all by themselves.
Here’s my experience finding her book.
I’m new to site and love it. Nice to read intelligent, articulate thoughts. Then there’s #7. Funny how time after time, libs resort to childish expletive riddled rants. He did forget to call her “stupid” though…the #1 rule of the liberal arguement.
Mary has a very high paying job and could get serious bank if she chose the speech circuit. She doesn’t need anyones money, daddy or otherwise.
What’s it like being a Right-Wing Ass-Munching Uncle Tom Faggot?