If you have not read this post, please take a few minutes out to do so - amongst other items linked in this post is the book itself. If you haven't the time, you can read the book online here
As well as being a book full of such delightful ways to physically and mentally abuse your children into submission and obeying your every command, it has been linked to numerous deaths of young children. A quick Google search in the news will show some of the horrific stories, and whilst ultimately the responsibility of these murders lie with the parents, some also has to be directed at this vile book.
Since this posting, I have been trying to get answers (without a lot off success), from Amazon into why it is still promoting and condoning this "manual of abuse" on it's site, when other retail sites have realised the damaging impact that this book has and have withdrawn it. Obviously I realise that although there have been many public campaigns over the years, Amazon has so far refused to withdraw this book. More recently, MP Nadine Dorris has also called for Amazon to withdraw this book
I was quite surprised last night then, after countless e-mails and completing of forms on their site, to get a reply from Amazon as follows:
"I'm sorry to hear about this. I can understand your concerns.
In this case, I've escalated this issue to the appropriate department in our company and have requested to remove the item "To Train Up a Child: Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children" from the website as soon as possible. Thank you for your feedback.
I'm very sorry for the inconvenience you experienced in this case and I hope you'll give us another chance in the future."
Now, do I believe that this will happen?
As said before, there have been numerous, very public campaigns in the past to get this book banned, and to get Amazon to stop selling it, without success.
Not really sure if I believe they will, but by making part of the reply from Amazon in which they have stated "I've escalated this issue to the appropriate department in our company and have requested to remove the item "To Train Up a Child: Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children" from the website as soon as possible" public in this way, hopefully there will be a better chance of getting this book removed from Amazon for once and for all, or will they GO BACK ON THEIR WORD?. Naturally I have asked Amazon to send me confirmation when they have taken this book down, and in an ideal world it would be great to go on their site, search for this book, and have "no matches found".
I will add their response as a comment under this post if/when I receive it.
In the meantime, please share this - the more people that see the response from Amazon, the more pressure they will be under to remove it, and ultimately, to help prevent any more deaths of children in this way, that is the aim.
Update from Amazon -
ReplyDelete"Hello,
Thank you for writing us back with your kind words.
I'm sorry; we aren't able to send e-mail notification. I request you to check back our website in the next few weeks. Our investigation team was working on this issue, soon "To Train Up a Child: Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children" will be removed from our website"
So - in a few weeks I will be checking their website to see if they stick to their word. Hopefully this vile book will once and for all be removed from Amazon....
You have addressed some vital topics in the public good, and this is another issue which could have huge positive potential, if it results in fewer people following this discredited and dangerous parenting philosophy. A child was killed a few yrs back near my town by a mother who followed similar child discipline tactics and lost control, when hitting her child. Just so much tragedy, perhaps avoided if she'd never used physical punishment. So many parents are the ones in need of the Time Out, because they themselves lose control more than child does.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds promising. I hear the same thing from someone on Twitter a few weeks ago, I hope this one can actually do something about it.
ReplyDeleteRic “……and in an ideal world it would be great to go on their site, search for this book, and have -no matches found-.”
ReplyDeleteThe book is available free online so it would be even better to find an Amazon page explaning WHY it had been removed.
e.g. links from your previous blog:
The recent conviction was (at least) the third child death linked to the book.
http://www.examiner.com/article/another-couple-found-guilty-of-murder-for-parenting-by-to-train-up-a-child
http://www.examiner.com/article/michael-pearl-writes-that-he-is-laughing-at-his-critics-after-child-s-death
Perhaps this is the least that AMAZON could do to undo some of the harm they have done …….. or perhaps Amazon would like to be a co-defendant after the next child death ?
It will be interesting to see in a few weeks time (will check again mid-January) to see if this is still available on Amazon - if it is, they will be hearing from me again. A statement or message stating exactly why it had been removed(if it is) would be even better than purely removing it, although seeing all the various failed campaigns and petitions over the years asking for its removal, just getting them to withdraw it would be a huge step forward for them.
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