Quote:
Originally Posted by MGlitch
Ok we’ve established that consideration needs to be given for when the society held different views than we do now, but what about authors within our time or who took action which was immoral and/or illegal in both their time and ours. MZB being a great example though not at the 100 year mark yet, I would be rather surprised if our views on her actions shifted dramatically in the next hundred years. She also has the benefit of being the author who got this thread going.
Milo would be another example who I think would fall under similar lines.
I think they’ve the right to publish, their work doesn’t call for harm to be done to specific individuals or groups. Though the two of them held/hold views which did/could lead to the harm of individuals. But so to do publishers have the right to not publish them. People are of course free to read or not read their books as they see fit.
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Of course, MZB is basically being accused after she was dead and couldn't defend herself and apparently for something someone else did but she didn't stop. I tend to group her in the "I'm looking for a reason to feel offended" category, as opposed to someone like Eddings who apparently was convicted of child abuse before he started writing. I like most of Eddings books, read them all before I found out about Eddings legal issues, and really it hasn't colored my enjoyment of the books. I also don't allow the fact that Henry Ford was a bigot keep me from buying Ford cars.