Should there be limits to what Amazon is willing to sell or should even pedophiles get a chance at the booksellers table?
The Amazon listing - “Understanding Loved Boys and Boylovers”
NO. They should be able to sell whatever they choose. The free market should be allowed to deal with the moral questions.
YEP! Why, I"d even give Libertarians the right to have their views published. 
What are my personal views on pedophiles? Answering from emotion, I would say that when one is exposed/caught, he/she should be imprisoned for life with no chance at parole. I doubt the unfortunate condition is cureable at this point. If they suffered terribly in confinement, I wouldn’t be upset. I know that is an uncharitable view, but this would definitely call for Old Testament Justice. Fuck up some young person’s life, live to regret it. Scum.
I think NAMBLA would have something to say on this issue. I hear they need a poster child.
Oh, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr. But, I promise, I’ll keep my feelings in the related pit thread. Just wanted to agree that this is disgusting.
Perhaps they could meet halfway and put it in the Humor/“If you believe this we have a bridge to sell you” section?
I’m all for understanding a problem (yeah, sorry NAMBLA, it’s a medical or emotional or whatever problem, not a lifestyle) instead of demonizing it. But this still sounds pretty gross. I’ve no doubt some pedophiles are capable of having sincere, loving relationships with people. But with the kids they’re molesting? No.
Does having a condition that causes someone to be attracted to young children make them inherently a bad person?
No.
If they choose to act on those desires, then feel free to drop a fridge on them.
I think it may not be as simple as “making a choice” to act on those impulses, Gadfly. I’m not a doctor or anything, I’m just saying that it might be a bit unfair to judge somebody who’s (medically speaking) sick in the head by those criteria.
First of all: eeeeewwwww!
Second: I hesitate to say it, but it seems unlikely to me that pedophilia is a condition per se, which can be cured, much like homosexuality isn’t a “condition” that needs to be cured. It could be, though… I’m no psychiatrist. It would be helpful if it were… Of course, there’s a big difference in that homosexuality is acceptable and pedophilia is not.
I’ll go with Gadfly on this one. I guess an analogy would be gay priests in the Catholic clergy. Though being gay is technically wrong according to doctrine, it shouldn’t be an issue, as priests are supposed to be celibate. Okay, so it’s not a great analogy, but the point is that the REAL problem are those who are twisted enough to act on desires that they should know are unacceptable and wrong.
Thirdly, it’s a pretty freaky book, but Amazon has the right to sell whatever it pleases. It’s really up to the market, as samclem said.
All the same, ick.
Considering the scathing editorial review, I don’t think anyone is going to take it seriously (except the target market). Amazon should sell whatever isn’t absolutely illegal.
If Amazon.com has no qualms about selling a stinkin’ pile of dribble like Ann Coulter’s Treason, I don’t see why they should start self-policing now.
NO. We don’t need government censure, and we certainly don’t need private corporate censores telling us what’s appropriate or not. Free speech must be defended as an absolute, it is not something you can pick and choose from. Censure is insidious; let it in one place, it’ll grown, expand and take over other areas. Soon things you want to read is censured also.
Personally I think the low point was Bowling for Columbine, by what’s his name … Michale Fatass Moore. 
Yeah that’s it. I’ll make an exception there. Censure away!
- Rune
Should the be a limit on what Amazon is willing to sell? Damn straight. Who should impose these limits? Amazon. Treason was an interesting book which posed some interesting and controversial opinions. This book is sickness justifing something so beyond sick I cannot think of a word for it. Abomination doesn’t quite reach it. Any decent corporation should carefully review what they will and will not sell. I hope they receive plenty of negative feedback and maybe lose customers to teach them a lesson. And the publisher should go under. And the author flogged. I would not want that sickie in my neighborhood.
I haven’t read the book, so won’t make any comments on whether the book itself is offensive or not.
I would just like to add, however, that “pedophilia” and “child molestation” are not the same thing. The former is a condition which, as Marley suggests, is not really a simple matter of personal choice. There are many pedophiles who realize that their predilection for children is frowned upon by society, who realize that molesting children is wrong, and who go through their whole lives without acting upon their desires.
I think that we need to do everything we can to help such people, while at the same time remaining vigilant when it comes to pedophiles who do act on their impulses. As Gadfly says, it’s actions and not attractions that should be punished.
I’d just like to make one more point. The book referred to in the OP is about homosexual pedophilia, and when “pedophilia” is mentioned it often seems that many people assume that it is homosexual. Despite the unfortunately-common perception of the homosexual as depraved pedophiliac, however, statistics consistently show that in the majority of pedophilia cases the victims are girls, and in many cases they are molested by close friends or family members. Not relevant to this thread, i realize, but just some fodder for anyone who might be tempted to equate pedophilia with homosexuality.
Fact is that pedophiles are sincere, concerned and loving human beings just like human beings are sincere, concerned and loving human beings.
That, and they are romantically/sexually attracted to children.
not really the point though I guess.
Free speech; are they yelling “fire” in a crowded theater?
well, it is valuble to have a single websie that sells everything remotely popular. More to the point, Amazon give this review
so i’m fairly confident that they still have their head screwed on straight.