Thursday, November 11, 2010

Taking A Stand


I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is a bit of a controversy going on about some books on Amazon’s listings. People want them taken off because of the topic. What topic? you ask. What book is riling people up this week? Speak? Twenty Boy Summer?

No. A book on the joys of pedophilia.

Pedophilia.

Let’s just let that sink in.

Pedophilia is one of the most reprehensible crimes there is, and Amazon has permitted a book encouraging people to partake in it to be put up on their website. Brief aside: the book that started this has been taken down. But there are others, self-published of course, up there like rotten teeth that need to be pulled.

I’m all for freedom of speech, but this is advocating an illegal, not to mention disgustingly immoral, activity. It’s one thing if someone is writing about the benefits of marijuana. Smoking a joint very rarely hurts anyone (maybe they get dizzy and fall down a flight of stairs or something, but that’s a topic for another day). Pedophilia, however, is a sickness that pollutes everything it touches. And I swear, if one person tells me ever that people said that about homosexuality, you’ll read about what I do to them in the national news. An act between consenting adults is a far f*cking cry from the rape of a child.

And there are books up there talking about how “wonderful” it is! Amazon: what is wrong with you? These are books about one of the most depraved acts known to humanity! And don’t tell me everyone has a right to their opinions. Yes, they do, but you are a private company. Refusing to sell books on illegal acts isn’t going to ruffle many feathers. You have the right, damn it, to say no, and are powerful enough to throw off any lawsuits. Hell, the Boy Scouts are allowed to refuse membership to gays (I disagree, but they’re, again, private and can do what they want, no matter what I think; I won’t support them, but I won’t deny their right to say no). You’ll be allowed to delete this filth, Amazon. Don’t permit this to continue.

I’m not shopping there as long as any of these books are up. Christmas is coming, which will make it difficult, but I managed to shop before Amazon and I’ll manage now. I ask you, my friends, to do this with me because the voice—and patronage—of the many is greater than that of the one.

Goodbye, Amazon. I’ll miss the convenience but I won’t miss the cowardice.  

6 comments:

  1. TELL IT LIKE IT IS!!!!!!!!! I'm with you on this. I won't miss the cowardice either. You go girl! yeah!

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  2. I had no idea this was going on- I don't shop on Amazon as it is, and it surprises me that the cops have not done something about it, I'm not quite sure how i feel outright- but I do know it makes me angry people think its wonderful.

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  3. Omigosh this sickens me. I had no idea this kind of stuff was permitted on Amazon. And you're right-- we aren't talking about consenting adults here, but children-- the victims. And do they allow books about the joy of rape, too?

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  4. Robyn--thanks :) You too!!

    Summer--it infuriates me, too. Unfortunately, the cops can't do anything about writing about it, even if it's illegal and vile beyond all imagining. Amazon, however, can pull it from its lists.

    Karen--I know. When I read it, I didn't believe it. But it was there (two actually; two too many). It's going to be hard work, but I'm convincing my family not to shop there either. Ugh. Mad just thinking about it.

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  5. I'm with you - I know sometimes it gets hard to draw the line with free speech, but this is definitely an example of an excellent place to draw that line. They should be ashamed.

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  6. Children are our future, they should be nurtured and protected.

    It is an outrage that any book condoning this disgusting behaviour should exist and the authors of these books should be publicly ostricised.

    I don't agree with paedophilles getting special treatment in prison, we've basically created a club house for them to get together and exchange stories. Put them back in with general pop and let them take their chances with the fathers who never get to see their kids. And human rights activists can bite me! They got their by violating someone elses human rights, an innocent defenseless childs no less, they don't deserve protection.

    Unfortunately paedophiles exist within the construct of nearly every ranking position. From Judges, to parlimentarians to CEO's of companies like Amazon. Until people start looking at those that would protect, release, and market these sicko's, questioning and looking more closely at their practices, the creeps will keep coming out of the woodwork.

    I have a child, anyone ever thought about touching her and they better turn themselves into police. I do NOT trust the justice system in this day and age to take care of the honest, hard working citizens and children. They have let too many down, too often in the past.

    So yes, I'm with you. But I'd go a step further and demand Amazon not only remove the books from sale. But also the person who approved those books to be uploaded and sold should be publicly named and fired.

    Let's take a look at what sort of person, thought it was ok to have those books openly available on the net.

    The only good thing that could come from it is the Fed's taking the list of sales and going door knocking to have a 'word' with the people who would buy such material.

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Please validate me.