Victims of success

With Dennis Madison’s passing comes a sad reminder of the closing

of his bookstore, Fahrenheit 451, two years ago.

Recently Laguna Beach also lost the Different Drummer bookstore,

and naturally it feels like we’ve done something wrong to let these

treasures go.

But perhaps these

passings can be seen as an inevitable outcome of their success.

Bookstores like these and the people who opened them are part of the

reason the public can find controversial or non-mainstream

publications more easily these days through mainstream outlets. The

fact that the stores exist gives larger book chains a clue that

there’s money to be made by giving people a choice.

But while it feels like

we’ve come a long way in ridding America of the book-burning

mentality, we have to keep our eyes and minds open.

The next round of censored material won’t likely be targeted for

sexual content. It doesn’t seem too far fetched to hear about

“un-American” or “pro-terrorism” materials becoming hard to find or

just coming under attack.

But the powers that be should know that if it gets out of hand

there are more people like Dennis and Rob Merrell who will stand up

and shout in the form of opening another “controversial” bookstore.

And that bookstore very well may open right here in Laguna Beach.