The great Valentine's Day Massacre of 2007 took place in Echo Park on Wednesday as car after car from the Bureau of Parking & Punishment swept the neighborhood, meting out tickets and towing. Expired tags was a towing offense. One friend of mine parked near Delilah's Bakery and went inside to get a sweet something for his wife on this lover's holiday. He came out -- sweet things in hand -- to find that his car was gone. Another upstanding friend, who devotes a massive amount of time to public service, had her car towed for an expired tag. As with all things in our society, the less money you have the more expensive the punishment. Not everyone can afford to lose a shift at work, or to run down to the impound palace with cash in hand to ransom back his or her automobile. Word on the street: Dept of P & P had a quota.

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Speaking of dogs, chickens and free speech...a provocative thread in the Echo Park Animal Alliance list serve throws down on freedom of expression in the buyer-sphere. The conversation started, I think, with Animal Control's Laura Weekes posting a challenge of sorts to dog folks. Weekes reported that Amazon had stood by its sale of dog-fight and cock-fight DVDs with a 1st Amendment shield. Weekes's retort was to cite the consumer's bill of rights: she was free not to spend her money on Amazon as long as they continued to sell animal porn. She asked EPAA-listers for their input, and there was plenty over many days.

For example: Melodie, a customer, writes to Amazon:

To Amazon: It is extremely disturbing to find cockfighting magazines and dogfighting videos on your website-These are not items of fiction or essays expressing opinion, thereby protected as free speech. These are items encouraging, teaching how-to, and giving specifics on where and when to engage in illegal acts; which acts are also cruel, violent and unethical. This is NOT a free speech issue. Expressing an opinion in writing is protected. Encouraging others to engage in illegal activities is not protected speech. Please remove these items from your website immediately. I am a long and loyal customer until now unaware of your website carrying illegal and violent material. Please let me know when these items will permanently be deleted from your website; in other words when I can become an Amazon customer again. Thank you, Melodie.

And Amazon Customer Service replies:

Thank you for writing to Amazon.com with your concerns about our product selection.

As a retailer, our goal is to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any item they might be seeking. That selection includes some items which many people may find objectionable. Therefore, the items offered on our web site represent a wide spectrum of opinions on a variety of topics.

Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain title because we believe their message is objectionable. Therefore, we will continue to make controversial works available in the United States and everywhere else, except where they are prohibited by law. We also allow readers, authors, and publishers to express their views freely about these titles and other products we offer on our web site. However, Amazon.com does not endorse any opinions expressed by individual authors, musical artists, or filmmakers.

We value all feedback from our customers, and thank you again for taking the time to send us your comments about this issue. We hope you will allow us to continue to serve you.
Sincerely,
Customer Service Department
Amazon.com

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here is a press-release email to Laura Weekes from the political arm of the Humane Society of the United States:

From: "Humane Society of the United States"/TELL AMAZON.COM TO STOP PROFITING FROM ANIMAL FIGHTING

Dear Laura, Did you know that Amazon.com is peddling materials that are both illegal and cruel to animals? It's true: Amazon.com is selling materials that promote cockfighting and dogfighting, and The Humane Society of the United States has been pressuring the company to remove these materials for many months.

Yesterday, the online retail giant told us that two dogfighting DVDs would be pulled from the site. This is a win for the dogs abused and killed in dogfights, but in the past Amazon.com has removed similar videos only to offer them for sale again later. AMAZON.COM MUST MAKE A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING ALL PROMOTIONS OF ILLEGAL ANIMAL FIGHTING OFF THEIR VIRTUAL SHELVES.

Now, Amazon.com must also cease its unsavory profiteering from The Gamecock and The Feathered Warrior, magazines that sell illegal animal-fighting paraphernalia and call attention to cockfighting venues. These magazines are the glue that holds together the criminal cockfighting industry in this country, and Amazon.com is their main internet subscription tool.

Today, please join us in telling Amazon.com that it's time for a zero-tolerance policy against the violent spectacle of animal fighting for human amusement. CALL AMAZON.COM RIGHT NOW AT 206-266-1000 and demand that they stop collecting blood money from this exploitation of animals.

This is not an issue of freedom of speech or materials that are merely offensive, although they are that. The facts are clear: Interstate distribution of materials that promote animal fighting is a violation of federal law. This week, The HSUS filed suit against Amazon.com and its suppliers to uphold that law.

You can also use Amazon.com's web form to make your point: https://community.hsus.org/ct/jdA-A5410zm-/. Then, please forward this alert to your friends and family so that they can make the call against animal fighting, too: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2007_amazon_fighting/forward/ww75bd3rq6mjxwe?. Thank you for taking action and for all you do for animals. Sincerely, Wayne Pacelle President & CEO The Humane Society of the United States.

P.S. To find out why this is NOT a question of First Amendment rights, read our web story: https://community.hsus.org/ct/j1A-A5410zmF