Judgment: Merit alone?

Movie Promotional Poster

This past fall, Ender’s Game came out in theaters with great expectation. People claimed this book to be phenomenal and a childhood favorite, so they were looking forward to seeing the story on the big screen.

Suddenly, a big campaign spread on the Internet like wildfire, asking people to pass on seeing the movie. Orson Scott Card, the author of Ender’s Game, has serious issues against the LGBT community, and he’s even served on the board of the National Organization for Marriage (also known as NOM) to work against equality in the US.

Geeks OUT, the group promoting this online campaign, believes one’s dollars speak louder than words. They want to keep Orson from receiving more money for him to possibly use against the LGBT community in the future.

Immediately, people cried out it was unfair to judge this man’s work due to his personal beliefs.

But I have to wonder, is it worth putting out money to support a person who shares beliefs opposite of you simply because they wrote a good book? Can we not find a similar well-told story written by someone else who shares similar beliefs with you? Why is it wrong to prefer putting your money in the pockets of people who won’t use it against you?

As a writer, I know people may not read my work due to the fact that I’m gay. I’ve accepted this inevitability. Is it morally right? To me, no. Is it their lawful right? Yes. I cannot force anyone to buy my book simply because I feel it is morally wrong to judge me simply for being gay. I feel the same can be said with Orson Scott Card and my decision to skip Ender’s Game and avoid reading his work.

What do you guys think? Are there any authors you refuse to read due to their personal beliefs or personality traits? Leave a comment and let me know.

PS- Do not forget that checking out a book at the library still promotes an author. The library isn’t free. We pay for it out of our taxes. Our money goes to them to buy books based on need and popularity. If a lot of people go out looking for copies of Ender’s Game or Orson Scott Card’s works, they will buy these books to replace old, worn copies or bulk up on copies should the holds list be long.