should michael pearl be held accountable

[Rev. Rye]

I think Pearl is fairly safe.

Not when I kick in his door with my shotgun in hand...

Just remember: when he's not writing books about beating the crap out of kids before they give you any reason to do so, he's a champion knife thrower. Permission to shit yourself granted.

[downbeatplumb]

I'll say the same thing I said about the Bible and Atlas Shrugged: "It's long been my observation that it's not the book that causes the problems, but the readers who fuck everything up for the rest of us."

Ann Rand has a lot to answer for!

[thesummerqueen]

She never convinced anyone to beat their child but her avid followers hurt my brain.

[Minimalist]

Well, being hateful isn't illegal, but due to the fact that their book was influential, and people have died as a direct result of following their instructions

The legal concept is "Clear and present danger." So how many people read his book and did NOT beat the shit out of their kids? That is the defense.

We generally regulate conduct in this country not speech. If he were addressing a mob of jesus-stoned fundie morons and urging them to break into a school and beat up kids the cops would arrest him for inciting a riot.

Writing a book does not reach that level.