IP: Germany: The Index of Banned Books for Airlines continues to grow

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 13:14:31 -0800
> From: Brad Templeton <brad () templetons com>
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: The Index of Banned Books for Airlines continues to grow
> User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i
> Organization: http://www.templetons.com/brad
>
> Another story of a person arrested for carrying the wrong book.
>
> http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=102144
>
> <snip>
>         The offending book was an essay by Karl Marx, On Suicide. It
>         was the reference to suicide that had got the policemen really
>         excited. They barely registered the author, though when they did
>         real panic set in and there were agitated exchanges. The way they
>         began to watch me was an indication of their state of mind. They
>         really thought they had got someone. My passport and boarding card
>         were taken from me, I was rudely instructed to re-pack my bag,
>         minus the crucial "evidence" (the SDZ, the TLS and the offending
>         text by Marx), and I was escorted out of the departure area and
>         taken to the police headquarters at the airport.
>
>         On the way there the arresting officer gave me a triumphant
>         smile. "After 11 September, you can't travel with books like
>         this," he said. "In that case," I replied, "perhaps you should
>         stop publishing them in Germany, or, better still, burn them in
>         public view."
>
>         Inside headquarters, another officer informed me that it was
>         unlikely I'd be boarding the BA flight and they would make
>         inquiries about later departures. At this point my patience
>         evaporated and I demanded to use a phone. "Who do you want to
>         ring?" he said. "The Mayor of Munich," I replied. "His name is
>         Christian Ude. He interviewed me about my books and the present
>         crisis on Friday evening at Hugendubel's bookshop. I wish to
>         inform him of what is taking place."
>
> <snip>
>
> I'm tempted to build a satirical "authentic" index of banned books
> for air travel.  Clearly:
>
>         Karl Marx "On Suicide"
>         Anything on suicide
>         Hayduke Lives
>         anything by Hayduke
>         anything by Tom Clancy
>         Airport (or any other novels of hijackings and bombs)
>         Huck Finn (on principle)
>         The Qur'an
>         Anarchist Cookbook
>         All books in bacteriology, virology
>         Black Sunday
>
>
> The Federal Law requiring at least 3 passengers to be readinga John
> Grisham novel would remain in effect.


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