By now, you have probably heard all about the Amazon debacle that’s been buzzing around Twitter, Facebook, and the world in general. If you have not, here it is in a nutshell.

Amazon sells an e-book titled: “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover’s Code of Conduct”. Once the Twitter world – specifically the mom community – got wind of this, it pretty much made the internet explode with fury and controversy. The general consensus is, “why in the hell would they allow a book like this to be sold?” Thousands of people begin contacting Amazon demanding they remove the book. Petitions are created. People are really pissed off. And then comes Amazon’s response:
“Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. 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“.

And here is where I vehemently disagree.

I am against censorship. I am for free speech. Years and years ago, people would burn books.. Wonderful pieces of literature, just because they were controversial. Books were banned from libraries. Fahrenheit 451. 1984. Hell, more recently, Harry Potter! Banned and condemned to burn in a fiery pit of judgment all in the name of protecting our children from such filth. One could argue (and I’ve come across people that have argued) that this is no different. “Where do we draw the line when it comes to censorship,” people ask.
I will tell you where I, personally draw the line.
I draw the line at pedophaelia and anything that encourages it in any way, shape, or form. Anything that endorses it. Anything that makes it easier for a perpetrator to continue hurting children.

Someone brought up to me, “Well have you read the book? Do you know what’s in it? How do you know it’s not more of a guide for, say, people around the age of 15 who are involved with someone just a few years older than they are but who are of legal age?”
I don’t know that. I can’t read the book, because I am afraid of what I’m going to find. But someone did buy and read the book to counter this particular argument, and you can read his findings right here.

The author of the book has spoken out, and one of the things he’s been quoted as saying is:
“I wrote the book to establish guidelines so that people would behave in a manner that is non-injurious to each other, for one, and, for two, to communicate the fact that these people who are so different in maturation, etc., that when they develop relationships, they use certain principles that regular people, adults, would be well to attend.”
This is quoted directly from ABC News: ‘When asked why he wrote a “code of conduct” that appears to endorse an illegal, abusive act, he said, “I’m not saying I want them around children; I’m saying if they’re there that’s how I want them to behavior.”‘

Nevermind the fact that this man’s grammar is laughable, let’s focus on his statements. Please note that he never states that the book isn’t a pedophile’s guide to getting freaky with small children. In fact, that last statement just makes me sick. “If they’re there, this is how I want them to act”. Seriously? Really? Honestly? I mean, come on, dude. Who in the hell do you think you’re fooling? Not this mom. Look at the men on Nightline’s To Catch a Criminal. They all say the same thing: “I never did anything, and you can’t prove that I was going to.” But we all know that they were going to, don’t we?
He says that he wrote the books in the hopes that “people would behave in a manner that is non-injurious to each other”. When you are talking about an adult engaging in a sexual relationship with a child, there is no way to be non-injurious. I don’t care if that child is 15 years old and thinks that they know what they want, and what they’re doing. It’s abuse, and it is wrong, wrong, wrong. Because I have a newsflash for you: 15 year olds don’t know SHIT. They are still CHILDREN.

Amazon is a privately owned company, and they have a choice. They can either take the book off of their site or they can leave it. No one is forcing them to keep this book available to buy on their website, they are making the conscious decision to keep it up. Why? Because “if we censor one, we have to censor them all”? No. I’m sorry, but no. You have to draw the line somewhere. I for one have lost respect for Amazon as a company. As a mother, I cannot get behind nor give my money to a company that will allow such filth to be sold on their site. Not when they have a choice. I’ve made my decision to no longer buy from Amazon. A blogger whom I respect greatly voiced an opinion that boycotting Amazon for one item would hurt other sellers who were following the rules, and not selling inappropriate things. I agree with her to a point but I’m still sticking with my decision. I just cannot, and will not, give a company that makes such poor decisions my money.

So what about you? Where do you stand? All opinions are welcome in the comments, but please be respectful and kind to me and to one another.