Vonnegut

I came across an article yesterday on Kurt Vonnegut called "Vonnegut, on politics, presidents and librarians." Vonnegut makes several good points about things like oil, Gorge W. Bush and Librarians. I like this bit:

Music (especially the blues) cheers him, as do people who behave decently. Librarians, too -- "not famous for their physical strength" -- who resist having books removed from shelves and refuse to give names of people who have checked out certain books in the era of the Patriot Act.

"The America I loved," he writes, "still exists in the front desks of public libraries."

Although I might have once respected US of A, I never loved America, unless you count the bit north of the 49th parallel. These days, the ubiquitous hypocrisy and double-think that comes from that quarter makes me feel emotions that verge on the opposite of love. But I know what Vonnegut means: central to the library philosophy are the notions of respect, democracy and empowerment.

Vonnegut was off on one thing though: I don't know how he figures we're "not famous for [our] physical strength." I know more than one 6+ foot librarian who hits the gym, do-jo or do-jang on a regular basis. You try swinging 'round a katana, staff or stick for an hour or two, and you'll see what I mean.