Amazon.ca, the Canadian branch of Amazon.com, has offered to sell "Eclectic Views On Gay Male Pornography: Pornucopia" to an 8-year-old American student whose father is working temporarily in Canada, after she launched a search for "science videos.
" The girl s father, Ken Chapman, told WND that he probably won t be buying anything soon from Amazon.ca, whose American parent company, as suggested earlier that a consumer interested in "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Lady and the Tramp" purchase "Brokeback Mountain," a story of homosexual relationship. Chapman said his family is planning a trip, and since his daughter will miss some school, he proposed getting some videos to run in the family car during the travel time.
"Rather than giving the kids some idiotic Disney movie, we thought videos would be better," he said. "We re going to do science, geography, Bible and math." That s when she went to Amazon.
ca and searched for "science videos." "Of the three pages of selections returned one was: Adult videos and another was Eclectic Views on Gay Male Pornography: Pornucopia, both a hardback and paperback book. My child wanted to know what this stuff was all about.
Imagine my shock and awe?" Chapman said. "I wrote Amazon.
ca to ask about this apparent problem. They replied with a note sounding very standard telling me they don t censor their materials, and will be inclusive of Gay material. I replied back and asked how a science video search could return pornography.
So far, no answers," Chapman said. WND replicated the search, and obtained a screen shot of the results, clearly showing the pornographic and homosexual products being returned to the "science videos" search. "I understand that you feel very strongly about this issue.
Let me assure you that Amazon.ca 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," the e-mail said. "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 web site represent a wide spectrum of opinions on a variety of topics," it continued. "Amazon.
ca believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable. Therefore, we will continue to make controversial works available in the Canada, United States and everywhere else, except where they are 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 web site.
However, Amazon.ca does not endorse any opinions expressed by individual authors, musical artists, or filmmakers," the company said. The message was signed "Gulshan Sethi," but a followup request from Chapman generated no answer.
"I replied back and asked how a science video search could return pornography. So far, no answers," he told WND. He said he d installed the usual filters to protect his family when he moved into Canada for a temporary assignment, but when Chapman s pastor found out that he was allowing them to use the computer without actually looking over their shoulder, the pastor suggested that might not be enough of a precaution.
The actual search turned up, along with "The Houston Museum of Natural Science" DVD, the "Killer Loop" by Star Video Games" and the pornography. Amazon.com s special software features which allow others to set up retail services produced the X-rated "Playboy: X Mates, Vol.
1 BMX/Wakeboards," and an adult 4-pack of "classics" titled "Debbie Does Dallas," "Deep Throat," "Behind the Green Door," and "The Devil in Miss Jones" when visitors to a Christian bookstore site hunted for products. the company s Unbox feature, which allows customers to download entertainment programming, promoted the "Gay and Lesbian" genre. The woman who was recommended "Brokeback," a WND reader and longtime Amazon customer, said she had submitted information that she had purchased "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," that she already owned "The Chronicles of Narnia" and she rated "Lady and the Tramp.
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