Letter to Amazon

Unless you live in a cave, you've probably heard about Amazon and the unranking of books they deem unsuitable. To say I'm horrified is an understatement. To say I'm mad and disappointed is another understatement. I buy most of my books from Amazon. I love that I can browse online and then they show up at my house two days later. Unfortunately, I can't in good conscience buy from them anymore. Not until they fix this mess.

It's not just books with gay and lesbian content, but some of the hotter romances getting caught in the fray.

Here is a letter to Amazon. Took me a while to find where to send it, but I did.

I have ordered many, many items from Amazon over the years. But as an American, as an independent person, as a writer, and as a reader, I have to express my utter disappointment at Amazon's recent high-handed actions regarding delisting books YOU deem unsuitable. Who are YOU to determine this? Why is Mein Kampf suitable, but an erotic romance is not? We do not live in a dictatorship, and until you fix this policy, I've just received my last order from you. Man, I wanted that Kindle too. Not happening now. Your behavior is un-American in spirit, not to mention unbelievable for a company engaged in SELLING books. What's next, a bonfire? Ever hear of Fahrenheit-451 by Ray Bradbury? Suggest you give it a read.

One of the hallmarks of a free society is open discourse. You may not like erotic books, or gay books, but you have no right to unrank them. And, if you check my long history with you, you'll see that I probably haven't bought any of these books (with the exception of romance novels you might now find too tawdry for your tastes) -- but I want the right to buy them, and the right to see how well they are selling without regard to their content. Shame on you!

Lynn R. Harris, a disappointed (and now former) Amazon customer