Reply of Amazon.com

I sent a letter to Amazon this morning regarding the selling of books on breeding and training dogs for fighting per the information I read on the Humane Society web site. Following is their reply. Honestly, when the word censorship crops up, I am hard pressed to argue. I have taken a strong stance on many topics and would be most upset if someone censored my beliefs. However, I do want to point out that they said they do not support or promote hatred or criminal acts. Let me just say this: Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, and in all but two, it is a felony to breed, train and promote dog fighting. That said, I appreciate their quick response to my concerns.

Thank you for writing to Amazon.com with your concerns. I understand that you feel very strongly about this issue.

Let me assure you that Amazon.com does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts; we do support the right of every individual to choose his or her own reading material or entertainment.

As a retailer, our goal is to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any item they might be seeking. That selection includes some items which many people may find objectionable. Therefore, the items offered on our website represent a wide spectrum of opinions on a variety of topics.

Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable. Therefore, we'll continue to make controversial works available in the United States and everywhere else, except where they're prohibited by law.

We also allow readers, authors, and publishers to express their views freely about these titles and other products we offer on our website. However, Amazon.com doesn't endorse opinions expressed by individual authors, musical artists, or filmmakers.

We value all feedback from our customers, and I thank you again for taking the time to send us your comments about this issue. Although we won't be able to comment further on this topic, we hope you'll allow us to continue to serve you.