<div>All:</div>
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<div>Tony's hyperbole on this issue just reveals his political hysteria. And his lack of research into the facts and absence of critical thinking before posting his button pushing nonsense also reveals that his post is not worth a response. However, in the hope Tony can become enlightened, I'll attempt exactly that.
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<div>Politicians, or anyone for that matter, can suggest that retailers not carry a title they or the community they represent find offensive, which has happened often with books with sexual content. This is not a "ban" in the legal sense, though many books with sexual content have been legally banned in a given community, or in certain areas of certain communities, even at this time in history.
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<div>If the New Jersey legislature tried to legally ban Coulter's book in New Jersey, this would be challenged no doubt as unconstitutional, and I doubt they would even attempt this sort of censorship, even if they wanted to. Read the actual statement of the New Jersey politicians in question at the bottom of this post. As far as I can gather, they are only offering a suggestion to New Jersey book retailers, which the retailers can follow or not, as they choose.
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<div>Retailers are free to sell whatever books they choose, though sometimes within certain legal bounds as defined by "prevailing community standards," a phrase used in legal decisions applied mainly to what some consider "pornography," a favorite target for censorship by those of Tony's world view. If they don't sell books people want, of course, they may go out of business.
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<div>Would the Christian bookstore in the Palouse Mall be charged with "book banning" for not carrying Bertrand Russell's "Why I Am Not A Christian?" No one would demand that they carry such a title, at least no one I know of, and they are within their rights not to carry the title. However, if the Idaho State Legislature tried to legally ban this Bertrand Russell book in Idaho, this would be unconstitutional.
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<div>Here is the statement by the New Jersey politicians in question regarding this issue: </div>
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<div><a href="http://politics.nexcess.net/pressrelease/2006/06/assemblywomen_joan_m_quigley_l.html#more">http://politics.nexcess.net/pressrelease/2006/06/assemblywomen_joan_m_quigley_l.html#more</a></div>
<p>In response to these incendiary, hate-filled attacks on women who suffered a terrible personal tragedy four-and-a-half years ago and have selflessly advocated to improve national security in the intervening years, the assemblywomen issued the following statement, denouncing Coulter's attacks and asking New Jersey retailers to ban the sale of her book throughout the state:
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<p><br><em>"Ann Coulter's criticism of 9-11 widows, whose only desire since the attacks have been to repair their shattered lives and protect other families from the horrors they have experienced, is motivated purely by petty greed and hate.
</em></p>
<p>"Her assertion that these women enjoyed watching their husbands die on national television is hateful, hurtful, and runs counter to every sentiment expressed since the September 11th tragedy.</p>
<p>"Coulter's vicious characterizations and remarks are motivated by greed and her desire to sell books. By making these claims, she proves herself worse than those she is attempting to vilify - she is a leech trying to turn a profit off perverting the suffering of others.
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<p>"No one in New Jersey should buy this book and allow Ann Coulter to profit from her hate-mongering. We are asking New Jersey retailers statewide to stand with us and express their outrage by refusing to carry or sell copies of Coulter's book. Her hate-filled attacks on our 9-11 widows has no place on New Jersey bookshelves."
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<div>Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 6/11/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Tony Rogers</b> <<a href="mailto:trustyshopper@hotmail.com">trustyshopper@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">For many years democrats have trumpted free speech. Now the tide has<br>changed. Some are actually looking more like communists. Check out the
<br>attempted book ban. Next they'll be burning books<br><br><a href="http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/10/235539.shtml?s=et">http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/10/235539.shtml?s=et</a><br><br>_________________________________________________________________
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