Another way to view the exercise of the censorial power that Debito Arudou boasts about in his March 20 article, "Demise of crime magazine historic," is as a goose step closer to thought control. The publication (Gaijin Hanzai) has a few racial slurs, some misinformation and specious logic, and lots of tasteless graphics beginning with the cover -- among many reports that are mostly factual and boring. It would take a sizable goon squad with retirement benefits to keep materials with similar faults out of bookstores and libraries.
Rather than vigilante gatekeepers deciding what publishers and dealers can offer me -- then telling me I can go to the archives of their Web sites to see what they've suppressed -- I would prefer the freedom to be offended.