Should Amazon sell this book?
| 17:30 UK time, Friday, 12 November 2010
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Ìý"The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover's Code of Conduct" was available through Amazon but has just been removed from sale following a controversy which saw some consumers threatening to boycott the site.
Ìýof what people are saying, from those who support free speech and who believe the book is harmless, to others who are concernedÌýabout the example Amazon is setting.
Amazon says it doesn't promote criminal acts but DOES avoid censorship.
"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."
But that's not good enough for ; doing business does not rid you of moral responsibility.
'That hands-off approach is generally admirable. Still, it's worth remembering that Amazon can impose any rules it chooses. It can refuse to distribute a book with instructions on how to make a bomb or assassinate an official. And it can refuse to carry a guidebook for pedophiles without damage to the 1st Amendment.'
blogger who's sickened by the book but defendsÌýAmazon's right to sell it.
article talks about some of the other books Amazon has for sale including one called I Am the Market: How to Smuggle Cocaine by the Ton, in Five Easy Lessons
Where do you draw the line - if at all? No-one forces anyone to buy a book, what's the problem? Here's one view against Amazon selling the book.
"It is ILLEGAL to molest children, and for Amazon to promote such is insane. I'm an abuse survivor, and am OUTRAGED Amazon would choose to promote this nonsense. I will not be purchasing anything from your website until this is removed"
The book's gone but the anger's still flaring. A Facebook group's been launched against the author and the call to .
Anikeade04 in Nigeria tweets:
"Never did get any sleep, too fired up about Amazon. Boycott them!"
Amazinglyhealth in Ontario Canada posts:"
This is disgusting - boycott Amazon!"
So can you abhor paedophilia but still back the freedom of a company to sell the book?
