Letter to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
[email protected]

To the Attention of:

Linda K. Zecher, Chief Executive Officer
William Bayer, General Counsel
Jill A. Greenthal, Director and Chair of Nominating, Ethics, and Governance Committee
Andrew Russell, Corporate and Social Responsibility

Dear Officers and Directors of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

I am writing to commend Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for its years of generous donations of the royalties earned from Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” I also commend its consideration of a wider base of BENEFICIARIES.

Jeremy Burton's assertion reported* as "Proceeds from the sale of ‘Mein Kampf’ should continue to be used exclusively for institutions that promote Holocaust education and awareness…" is shockingly arrogant, insensitive, and offensive. It seems obvious that veterans' groups, Roma organizations, and groups of persons displaced by the War and its aftermath, should have an interest in the matter of royalties equal to anyone else. The royalties earned by your company have been called "blood money."  I remind Mr. Burton that Roma, Polish, French and the blood of  American soldiers was also spilled in World War II.

Mr. Burton's pet charities have been the exclusive recipients of the royalties for years now. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is quite right in reviewing who should be recipients of its generosity. It seems to me that Mr. Burton should be thanking your company, not reproaching it.

I will add that "Holocaust education and awareness" has grown into a major industry. Professor Norman G. Finkelstein has outlined the issues in The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering.    While Mr. Burton may not agree with all of Professor Finkelstein's comments, I would hope that he would acknowledge that Holocaust Education gets enough public funds that a small bit could be shared with old GIs or destitute groups of Roma or Poles.

Thank you.

David Merlin,
Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust.
(A group dedicated to truthful Holocaust research and discussion)
P.O. Box 20774
York, PA 17402
USA
phone & fax: ++1-415-688-2129
[email protected]

*http://www.timesofisrael.com/mein-kampf-royalties-plan-roils-bostons-jews/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=ef7bf98728-2016_05_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-ef7bf98728-55317337