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Parenting

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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Why are cruel parenting sites legal?

421 replies

Blu · 15/05/2006 15:21

I have heard of Gary Ezzo before, and today discovered the horrific Michael Pearl. Pearl and his wife actually advocate beating children under the age of one with 'switches' from a tree, and describe horrendous incidences where they have beaten other peopel's children. He instructs parents to beat children relentlessly.

Since incitement to other kinds of violence is banned, and the beahviour this man admits to is presumably legally child abuse, why is it permissable that he openly encourages people to beat children. To beat babies? (he proudly describes beating an 11 month old on his bare leg with a stick).

I really, really want him arrested.

OP posts:
Piffle · 15/05/2006 18:13

Vile disturbed man.

ks · 15/05/2006 18:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blu · 15/05/2006 18:20

MNHQ - RESPECT! Top response!

Enid - shall I cut and paste some more?

There is 'principle' and there is 'degree', whatever you feel about the principle, degree here has to be off the scale.
One 3 year-old was 'switched' every night for 23 nights - he sees this as a triumph. The book pro-actively promotes this kind of treatment of young children, and Amazon, amongst others, are making a profit.

OP posts:
tamum · 15/05/2006 18:22

I was actually in tears at the description of that tiny girl trying to do what she was supposed to and getting hit repeatedly for not getting it exactly right. What a vile, vile piece of worthless shit that man is. Well done Blu for starting this, and fantastic response from MN Towers.

foundintranslation · 15/05/2006 18:25

I read the extracts posted further down the thread and retched. Horrendous. Angry
Have emailed Amazon to complain.

cod · 15/05/2006 18:25

me too

oh er

shellybelly · 15/05/2006 18:25

I will also be sure to pass this on to any friends with children who aren't members of MN and see if they would want to boycott amazon too!

PeachyClair · 15/05/2006 18:34

Good on you MN Grin and all the others who complained.

I have forwarded a link to this site and an e-mail asking for complaints to all of my friends, most of whom are students and buy many books from Amazon.

Rowlers · 15/05/2006 19:12

Cripes.
This takes the biscuit.

Sadly, I am not at all surprised by this.

He clearly believes his "Biblical child training" to be right and the likes of us to be in the wrong for not sharing his distorted view.

I'd quite like to set about him with a plumber's pipe. Now, if we make it the right ratio, it would be about 5 inches thick and a few feet long? Wonder how he'd like that.
Bloody bully. It's so sad that people impotent in other areas feel the need to exert their power over defenceless babies.
He won't change I'm sure but Amazon should.
I will certainly be voicing my view to the mighty Amazon.com corporation.
GF now seems rather tame in comparison....

stitch · 15/05/2006 19:18

a baby can only express himself by crying. doesnt this sick individual know that?
how how how?

LadyTophamHatt · 15/05/2006 19:19

For the first time in my MN life over over 3 years I have had to get up and walk away from the computer after reading those "quotes".

zippitippitoes · 15/05/2006 19:20

perhaps people who post on other parenting sites might see if they can gain some support on those too?

MotherOfaPlodder · 15/05/2006 19:20

shall i go t bad mothers?

shellybelly · 15/05/2006 19:22

and here is Amazons fast and speedy reply to my complaint [anger]

Dear Customer

Thank you for writing to Amazon.co.uk with your concerns about one of
the titles we list in our catalogue.

This is an issue we take very seriously and we wanted to share with
you our goals with respect to our catalogue.

Our goal is to support freedom of expression and to provide customers
with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover and
buy any title they might be seeking. That selection includes some
titles, which most people, including employees of Amazon.co.uk, may
find distasteful or otherwise objectionable.

Amazon.co.uk believes it is censorship not to offer for sale certain
titles with repugnant or distasteful content, and we would be rightly
criticised if we did so. As a result, we will continue to make
controversial works available in the UK and everywhere else, except
where they are prohibited by law.

Furthermore, because we strongly believe that the appropriate
response to distasteful or repugnant speech is not censorship, but
more speech, we will continue to allow readers, authors, and
publishers to express their views freely about the books and other
products we offer on our website. It is important to note that we do
not endorse any 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.

We hope you will allow us to continue to serve you.

Rowlers · 15/05/2006 19:24

That's not very encouraging now is it?

hulababy · 15/05/2006 19:27

So basically so long as Amazon can make money out of the book, they don't care and they will sell it. Never mind the poor suffering babies as a result.

I don't like Amazon much anyway. Their customer service is often poor, and they still have failed to send me the £10 voucher I paid for last September. Another reason now to never use them again!

foxinsocks · 15/05/2006 19:27

I don't believe the sort of smacking/beating he is advocating wouldn't leave a mark - I also think it would not pass the 'reasonable chastisement' test therefore that would make it illegal in England at least.

NotQuiteCockney · 15/05/2006 19:28

Hmm. I think this book is gross and horrible, but I do see their point, I'm afraid. They try to stock everything. They don't pick and choose. They have \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/159364020X/qid=1147717575/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_3_2/203-4657406-8352708\this} and \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/097291871X/qid=1147717657/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_3_6/203-4657406-8352708\this}. I bet we can find a lot of other offensive stuff they stock.

I think putting up reviews on this guy's horrible books is a good idea. Or campaigning against his coming visit to the UK?

NotQuiteCockney · 15/05/2006 19:29

I don't like the idea of Amazon saying "I don't think this particular parenting book is acceptable, so we won't stock it", frankly. I could see that sort of judgement coming out against, say, an extended-bf book.

Caligula · 15/05/2006 19:31

Is he coming to the UK?

foxinsocks · 15/05/2006 19:32

I'm all for no censorship but this man has written a manual for a would-be child abuser. If someone beat their 11 month old in the street with a stick/tube/switch, they would be arrested.

Airy · 15/05/2006 19:34

I don't think it's a case of anyone just thinking it's not acceptable though is it. This book is advocating nothing more than child abuse, hitting a child of any age with a weapon of any sort could surely never be anything but abuse!?
I for one would be very happy for Amazon to decide that they will not stock books that give details on and encourage abusing children.

Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads · 15/05/2006 19:36

I've complained as well, 2nd official complaint of the day (the other to the Times).

shellybelly · 15/05/2006 19:36

NQC you said just what i was thinking

harpsichordcarrier · 15/05/2006 19:37

yes, there is a difference between books that are morally dubious and those that are illegal
I don't think that Amazon would stock a book about how to grow your own illegal drugs or make a bomb
so why stock a book about how to abuse a baby/child?

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