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Originally Posted by crich70
I've read over some of the postings on this topic and two things occur to me. First there is the fact that our modern sense of outrage at the topic is only a little over 100 yrs old. Prior to the late 1880's there weren't any laws against adult/child sex. Mind I do think that it's good we have the laws, but til comparatively recently (if you think about it) such actions weren't legally (at least) a crime. Secondly, I'm reminded of a story I read once (I think it was in Stephen King's Dance Macabre) where he spoke of a case of someone wanting a book banned from the high school library. The woman's son had checked it out to read for a book report as I recall, and she happened to read some of it. Turned out there was a lot of objectionable language in it (its setting was the steel working industry) and it offended her. So she set out to get it removed from the stacks. Before her son had checked it out no one else had as yet done so, but by the time the school board got around to making the decision to remove said book about 50 or so other people had checked it out. The more of a spotlight a book that someone wants banned gets the more people pay attention to it and want to know what the big 'fuss' is. I agree this is probably a book that shouldn't be published, but Amazon isn't the only avenue for the author to get it out there either, and someone, somewhere will still search for it out on the web. I mean some people did buy the kindle version I understand, and though it probably has the usual DRM protections on it I'd wager that someone, somewhere will (if they haven't already) break it and upload it as a mobi or a text file or something. The more a thing is forbidden, and the harder it is to aquire, the more some people will want to get it.
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Hi, Crich.
I agree with one of your points, but disagree with the relevance of the other.
The point that there were no laws against pedophilia until the 19th century is mostly true, but I always wonder why people use it in their arguments against people voicing their objections to it. Isn't it like responding to an outcry against slavery by pointing out that it was legal until the late 19th century?
On your other point, though,
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The more of a spotlight a book that someone wants banned gets the more people pay attention to it and want to know what the big 'fuss' is.
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Yes. I agree with the spotlight problem. Had I come across the book on Amazon, I wouldn't have drawn attention to it in the public.
But in this case, by the time most people heard about it, it was already all over the news, thanks to some twitterers that lead to an AP story, then the media blasting it all over the web an TV news.
At that point, it was already in the spotlight, and the public was presented with a challenge to take a stand.
I am glad the stand they chose showed the depth and breadth of American intolerance of books that advocate pedophilia - and yes, this one gives tips on how to do it, e.g., go buy finger cots to use as condoms for little boys.
By taking that stand instead of treating this book on the same level as other "just offensive" books (which they accept due to other variables this one lacks), they sent an important message to pedophiles - some who are trying to convince themselves that it's not really THAT bad, and others who are doing all they can to normalize and desensitize their abuse of children, and would love to use Amazon as a platform to go crazy with pushing their agenda.