Boycott Amazon.com!!!

I have deleted my Amazon.com wishlist. It's really crappy that I had to do it, but I couldn't, in all good conscience, keep it open. I still have the wedding registry there, but that's because apparently there isn't a way to remove it. *sigh* I am asking if you purchase anything for me, DON'T do it through Amazon.com.

Why?

Because they apparently are of the opinion that they can sell whatever they want. The book in question?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//0973818808/ref=cm_rv_thx_view/105-2964934-1452437

This is the email that I have sent to Amazon as to why I have deleted my wishlist, and why I won't shop there anymore:

Octaevius Altair is a pedophile and predator - and yet, your company, and a company OWNED by Amazon.com (per the front page of BookSurge.com), is publishing his work. I have deleted my wish list, and am advising all of my friends to boycott as well. I will not be using Amazon's services further, unless and until Amazon publicly apologizes and advises that they have removed "Viamund the boylove vampyre says...Poetry & Haiku's" and refuse to publish its ilk from this point forward.

Be aware - it's not just me who feels this way. We have alerted Blogger.com and MySpace.com, both of whom host a site for this person, and at least one has strong ties with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I have now seen banners on over 10, well-read blog sites stating to boycott Amazon.com until pedophelia is no longer supported by you.

Think I'm overstating? Check it out: http://absolutezerounited.blogspot.com/2007/02/hes-rake.html

I hope that you realize that the First Amendment is for those within the US (not outside - he lives in Canada), and both in Canada and in the US, pedophelia and its connected forms (kiddie-porn and books regarding the acceptance of such) is ILLEGAL and cannot be sold.

Thank you.

There's been a question of Rights and Freedoms being guaranteed by the first amendment, etc...

Per Wikipedia.com:

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. (emphasis added)
This section is double edged. First it implies that a limitation on freedom of speech prescribed in law can be permitted if it can be justified as being a reasonable limit in a free and democratic society. Conversely, it implies that a restriction can be invalidated if it cannot be shown to be a reasonable limit in a free and democratic society. The former case has been used to uphold limits on legislation which are used to prevent hate speech and obscenity. (like pedophelia or kiddie porn...)

FURTHER - Wikipedia says:

In the United States freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. There are several exceptions to this general rule, including copyright protection, the Miller test for obscenity and greater regulation of so-called commercial speech, such as advertising.

Obscenity in specific is difficult to define under the First Amendment, and is often used in a legal context to describe expressions (words, images, actions) that offend the prevalent sexual morality of the time.

The Supreme Court has found that, when used in the context of the First Amendment, the word "obscenity" means material that deals with sex. In the United States, the 1973 ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States in Miller v. California established a three-tiered test to determine what was obscene - and thus not protected, versus what was merely erotic and thus protected by the First Amendment.

By definition then, the First Amendment will only cover those things which are deemed LEGAL within an obscene context - Child Pornography is specifically NOT on the legal list, and has been known to be illegal for some years now. While legal debates will rage on about whether other forms of pornography or erotica are acceptable or not, child pornography and pedophelia is NOT legal, either in Canada or in the US.

So... I urge you, dear readers, to include the following splat sign on your blogs, and spread the word. Boycott Amazon, and let the world know how much you hate child pornography. Be the voice for the child in the dark.





~M