Thanks, but no thanks. That’s what one school librarian told Melania Trump when she tried donating a stack of unsolicited books to her school.
Liz Phipps Soeiro is an elementary school librarian from Cambridge. She recently received a box of 10 Dr. Seuss books along with a letter from Melania Trump encouraging kids to follow their dreams.
Nice, right? Wrong.
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Soeiro responded in an open letter to the first lady published by The Horn Book blog. In it, she says her school “doesn’t have a NEED for these books,” adding that they already have over 9,000 titles and, with a yearly per-pupil spending budget of well over $20,000, they can afford whatever they want.
“Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?” she suggests.
But she doesn’t stop there. She also criticizes Melania’s choice of books.
“You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché,” Soeiro explains, “a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature.”
She then encourages Mrs. Trump to reach out to her local librarian for better, more useful recommendations next time, then attaches a list of children’s books that might offer her “a window into the lives of the many children affected by the policies of your husband’s administration.”
“I am honored that you recognized my students and our school,” Soeiro concludes. “I can think of no better gift for children than books; it was a wonderful gesture, if one that could have been better thought out.”
Of course, being a member of the Trump klan, Melania simply could not let the lowly school librarian get the last word. Her office issued a curt response today that reads:
Mrs. Trump intends to use her platform as First Lady to help as many children as she can. She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to schools across the country is but one example. Turning the gesture of sending young school children books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere.
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leobaga
It’s pure comedy how the left doesn’t realize their overreaching. Never thought I’d see them go this far into insanity. What a great time to be alive!
Gilliflower
We are all in this together, you know. Why make this into a contest between two arbitrary points, left or right? Also, I hear an awful lot of hate for the left in these comments but from what I read it’s just a librarian and her (educated?) opinion, formed over years of being a librarian. What makes her a leftist? The fact that she spurned FLOTUS’ books?
mhoffman953
@Gilliflower
“What makes her a leftist?”
Are you suggesting that the librarian could be an extreme right-wing conservative? lol
DCguy
MHoffman953 said……
““What makes her a leftist?”
Are you suggesting that the librarian could be an extreme right-wing conservative? lol””
________________________________________
I love it when the right wing troll and his multiple screenames are so desperate to attack anybody on here that they don’t realize how bad their statements make Republicans look.
You just ADMITTED, that a librarian, somebody who needs to be educated, and well read would never be a right wing conservative. In other words, somebody with the ability to read and the education to understand what they read would never be a right winger.
Thanks for admitting that. LOL
mhoffman953
Why didn’t Queerty publish the entire librarians letter? I assume it’s because everyone would see that she’s a quack. The following is another quote from the same librarian in her response as to why she didn’t want the Dr. Seuss books.
“Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes”
Only crazed leftists would find Dr. Seuss books to be “steeped in racist propaganda”. First they don’t want you to respect the flag, now they symbolize white supremacy with Dr. Seuss. These people are insane
Brody
They claim Seuss’s characters are racist because their bow ties and white gloves hearken back to the days of minstrel shows, which means Donald Duck better watch his feathered ass, for the SJWs will soon be demanding his head as well.
Heywood Jablowme
I’m in rare agreement with both of you.
For one thing, Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was quite a lefty in his earlier career as a political cartoonist. Not just pro-FDR but always defending the left wing of the New Deal in general, defending the rather nutty & mystical Vice President Henry Wallace, blasting isolationist and Republican critics of FDR as vaguely or outright pro-fascists or pro-Nazis. One could say Dr. Seuss was a proto-“antifa,” lol.
Before this controversy I’d been unaware that black minstrel shows in the early 20th century left pink spots on things (bathtubs, clothing, snow, etc.) like the Cat in the Hat did. Anyway the Cat easily cleaned up all the pink spots so I don’t see why anyone would object to his activities.
Ummmm Yeah
Exactly mhoofman953.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgJgIYEIkHQ
DCguy
Except the far right, lefty, commie pinko and did I mention lefty rag….Business Insider ran this article on Dr. Suess’s history of making racist ads before writing his books.
http://www.businessinsider.com/before-dr-seuss-was-famous-he-drew-these-sad-racist-ads-2012-3
Oh, by the way, it’s funny when two of your screenames immediately agree with each other back and forth.
1EqualityUSA
One of the books that’s a sure bet for this librarian to receive Emily Post’s “Etiquette.”
HenryCameron
And to think that just two years ago she was tweeting out pictures of herself dressed up like the cat in the hat and gushing about having the kindergarten and first-grade students celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a green-egg breakfast. So has she become radicalized against Dr. Seuss in the meantime, or is she just suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome to the extent that she could not resist a grand opportunity for her 15 minutes through a virtue-signaling snub of the first lady?
mhoffman953
Yeah, you mean this picture: https://i.imgur.com/YCRB10n.jpg
Brody
Not to mention that this librarian—this pillar of literature in our academia—also claims that Dr. Seuss is a racist (because of course anyone or anything endorsed by the Trumps must be).
Brody
This says a whole lot more about the angry, intolerant librarian than it does about our altruistic, classy First Lady.
1EqualityUSA
thatsastretch
Roy Moss
Altruistic? Classy? Funny. MT is just one step above a prostitute. Classy is not an adjective that anyone in their right mind would use to describe this president’s wife. She is a filthy gold digger that never does anything that she doesn’t think she’ll profit from. Kindness and decency aren’t in her vocabulary.
jcoberkrom
This poor woman. Criticizing Dr. Seuss! It’s not bad because he’s an icon, but because he gets kids to read. Period. End Paragraph. As a librarian she should know this!! And I, as a commie pinko liberal who believes that Jesus of Nazareth had a lot to teach us. Dr. Seuss was his voice in the 20th century!
Luna1979
That was about as childishly hateful as it gets.
dean089
This story has been SO blown out of proportion. The simple fact is that Mrs. Trump chose a top notch school that has a state of the art library, a school that didn’t need her donation. As the librarian pointed out, why didn’t this donation go to a school that actually needs it? Back in the ’80s I worked for a non-prof were wealthy donors would donate hideous works of art and other things that had never been asked for, and each time they expected the item to be put on display with a sufficiently large brass plaque. If you’re doing to donate, donate to someone that needs it and donate what they ask for, not just whatever you want to donate. Duh!
Heywood Jablowme
Yes – ten of thousands of schools in the U.S. & she chooses this one? Why? The school was a very odd choice, that’s true.
mhoffman953
I’m not sure why these libraries were chosen and most likely someone from the White House staff chose these libraries, which is the protocol with any administration for these types of things.
However, if the librarian cared so much about the poorer schools, she could’ve graciously accepted the gesture and had her library donate the books to those who she felt needed them the most.
Instead she sent the books back, wrote a nasty letter, and accused Dr. Seuss of being symbolic of white supremacy and white privilege
DuMaurier
Okay, Ms. Librarian, just for the next time you get a gift you don’t like, here’s how civilized people handle it: You accept it graciously, thank the giver profusely, and then re-gift it.
jhon_siders
This has got to about the stupidest thing I have ever heard Now DR Seuss is racist Hey the song by the Eagles comes to mind GET OVER IT !! I think all of us read his books as a kid If any thing Id say he leaned to the left Remember the LORAX ?? A message to kids to take care of our earth . Saw that on TV in the 60s .
Chris2016
The fact that the writer of this story slants it overwhelmingly in favor of the librarian, despite everyone with a brain universally mocking her, condemning her, or just choosing to ignore the story due to how embarrassing and counterproductive it is… one can only deduce that he is a totally dogmatic, agenda pushing, charlatan.
I know that in the world of Gay news sites, Queerty leans more toward the tabloid journalism style that one can find in publications like the Daily Mail or New York Daily News, but still, Queerty needs to get better standards.
mhoffman953
@Chris2016
Very true. Even many people on here who despise President Trump for whatever reason, do not side with the librarian in this case.
Queerty clearly favored the librarian’s response and actions by their word choice by saying Melania Trump’s gave a “curt” response, meaning a rudely brief response when in fact Melania did nothing wrong in this situation.
1EqualityUSA
When she plays Clue, she gravitates towards the library.
tghost54
The little hypocrite dressed as the the Cat in the Hat a year ago and posed for a photo holding a Dr. Seuss book.
Lesbian bed death victim obviously.
Donald Dork
God help anyone who dares to criticize The Lord Jesus Trump. And you call the left intolerant?
1EqualityUSA
Satan is supposed to be handsome, so we know Trump is not the dark one.
o.codone
What a petty, divisive thing to do to Melania. Just say “thank you” and move on. Ignoramus.
Creamsicle
It’s a bit opportunistic for Republicans to propose federal cuts to public library programs and grants, and then try to swoop in with a handful of books to a bunch of private school libraries and brand yourself a literacy advocate.
If she were actually “committed her efforts on behalf of children everywhere,” she’d have sent computers, 3D printers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and tablets to public libraries instead where children can use them regardless of what part of town they live in or which school they attend.