http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112145/40127910
Amazon defends 'Pedophile's Guide'
Another book protested in 2002 for advocating adult-child sex is still
available on the site
pedophiles, sparking discussions about the retailer's obligation to
vet items before they are sold in its online stores, and threats of
boycott from Amazon customers if the book is not removed.
The book, " The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-
lover's Code of Conduct" by Philip R. Greaves II, offers advice to
pedophiles afraid of becoming the center of retaliation. It is an
electronic book available for Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle e-reader.
The author's description (misspellings included) reads:
"This is my attempt to make pedophile situations safer for those
juveniles that find themselves involved in them, by establishing
certian rules for these adults to follow. 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."
Amazon issued a statement that will no doubt fuel the outraged
comments multiplying on the "Pedophile's Guide" Amazon page. "Amazon
believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we
or others believe their message is objectionable," it reads. "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."
As a private company, Amazon has the right to sell whatever it wants
as long as it's legal, and as such, offers books that cater to
Holocaust deniers and other hate groups, as well as graphic dog
fighting and cock fighting videos. Adult (legal) pornography, while
available in book and magazine form, is not permitted in the Kindle e-
reader store. This is possibly because of its iTunes partnership with
the notoriously porn-free Apple which removed both "Ulysses" and the
"Kama Sutra" from its own book store.
Video: Why was Amazon selling pedophilia guide? (on this page)
A customer review on the "Pedophile's Guide" Amazon page written by
"Outraged Mother" reads, "The line of immorality is at best a zone
with ill defined boundaries. Whatever. This crosses into the unsavory
and shameful side of the zone. Take it down."
"There is a point when, even though a company has a no-censorship
policy, that selling certain books is simply wrong," reads "Disgusting
Abomination," another customer review. "Not censoring is one thing,
and I commend that, but choosing to sell this book on a site that
accessed by millions of people (including children) daily is
reprehensible. This is a disgusting choice you have made, Amazon.
Whatever money you are making off this book can't be worth the ire you
are receiving for selling it."
In an unexplained turn of events, more than 103 customer reviews
populated the "Pedophile's Guide" page earlier today, when news first
broke about the book's availability, but dropped down to less than 30
by late afternoon. The number of reviews has since grown to over 60.
As news and outrage about the book spread, the first (presumed)
Internet jokester chimed in with "A fantastic guide," the first five
star review:
"I can't thank Amazon enough for keeping this great work of literature
up for those of us with 'special tastes.' The instructions and images
in the guide were extremely insightful and led to a wonderful
experience for both myself and my partner. Thank you for protecting
free speech, Amazon!"
In 2002, Amazon.com cited the First Amendment as justification for
offering another book that advocates adult-child sex, "Understanding
Loved Boys and Boylovers," by David L. Riegel. Further, the paperback
book is still available on the site.
At that time, Amazon stated, "Our goal is to support freedom of
expression and to provide customers with the broadest selection
possible so they can find, discover, and buy any title they might be
seeking."
An Amazon employee emphasized that "Understanding Loved Boys and
Boylovers" was "not a 'how-to' manual for molesting children. The
author simply expresses his point of view about what he feels are
misunderstood."
"Pedophile's Guide" has also triggered mounting outrage on Twitter and
beyond. A chorus of Twitter users is calling for Amazon to pull the
book, and a campaign to push the hashtag #BoycottAmazon into Twitter's
top trends is underway.
A keyword search for "Amazon" on the microblogging network reveals a
growing number of retweets featuring Amazon's contact info and urges
to keep calling and e-mailing "until the book is removed."
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