Amazon, the mega merchant that sells everything from electronics to clothing as well as its well known line of books has taken its support of free speech to a new extreme. Although it is understandable that a bookstore would be loathe to limit free speech, there are times to draw the line.
Amazon.com has decided that "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure" should come under the umbrella of free speech protection. Fox News quotes a paragraph promoting and describing the book as follows.
"This is my attempt to make pedophile situations safer for those juveniles that find themselves involved in them, by establishing certian [sic] rules for these adults to follow," a product description reads. "I hope to achieve this by appealing to the better nature of pedosexuals, with hope that their doing so will result in less hatred and perhaps liter sentences should they ever be caught."
The book takes the jump from providing psychological insight into pedophilia into advocating the behavior and providing information to facilitate it being carried out successfully.
Amazon defends the book, saying that it does not fit the legal definition of child pornography, since it has no illustrations. Fox News quotes as follows the high toned statement by Amazon defending its controversial marketing decision.
"Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable," the company said in a written statement. "Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."
Amazon may well have the law on its side. Despite this, there is still latitude within the law to refuse to sell books that might be harmful to the well being of the public. Amazon can and should do the right thing by dropping this book, just like they dropped "RapeLay" a video game about a man who stalked and raped a mother and her daughters.
Amazon has a record of promoting destructive books such as "I Am the Market: How to Smuggle Cocaine by the Ton, in Five Easy Lessons" by Luca Rastello and "Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers."
There is another freedom that might interest Amazon, and that is the freedom of consumers to shop where they please. There are plenty of alternatives to amazon.com, such as Barnes and Noble and Borders. Amazon is not the only merchant that provides an outlet for used booksellers either. Barnes and Noble serves the same audience just as well.
Boycotting Amazon until they come to their senses may be what is required to remind them to use common sense and decency in the way they interpret the constitution. The courts should only be the last resort in enforcing free speech and its parameters. Private citizens can and should use their discretion as well. A boycott of Amazon.com is in order until they come to their senses.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/10/con...
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