Review by kiddishrebel -- The Banned Book about Love

[Vivian Paschal]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Banned Book about Love" by Scott Hughes.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Banned Book about Love is a short non-fiction booklet that was released on June 13th, 2016 under the title I Love Brock Turner. It became the #1 bestseller in the Philosophy category on Amazon until it was banned from Amazon following complaints from people who, in my opinion, did not comprehend the message which the author, Scott Hughes, sought to communicate.

The book is a material committed to an understanding of the nature of love, especially as it relates to offenders, victims, and uninvolved persons who involve themselves for one reason or the other. However, those who judge the book by its cover are almost certain to view it as a book that makes excuse for criminal behaviour, while rejecting heavy legal sanctions that are the consequences of behaviour. It demonstrates necessity to let go of hate, as hate generally leads to obsessiveness and unreasonableness.

Hughes illustrates his view with focus on Brock Turner, a former Stanford student, who was convicted of three counts bordering on sexual assault. Hughes dares to publicly declare his love for Turner, as well as make it clear that he is in support of what he calls the lesser of two evils, the incarceration of these dangerous people for the protection of innocent people. Thus, he puts forward the question of what our goals are: “Are we using non-excessive force against victimizers to protect innocent people from victimization? Or are we using force sadistically merely to make someone suffer? Is this force a means to the end of protecting people? Or is the harm the hateful end in itself?” While Hughes opines that love does not need an explanation or a religion, he reminds us that the various religions place emphasis on loving all people, including enemies. In his chapter on Hate Doesn’t Work as a Means, Hughes creates awareness of the fact that the declaration and passion with which we hate victimizers can be channelled towards more meaningful causes. Of course, he gives examples: we could advocate for lighter sentences for nonviolent people, or contribute to the work that goes into preventing and dealing with violent crimes.

I appreciate the author’s courage in taking a different standpoint from the general public. The message of love is one that is greatly needed for society to thrive. The author’s honesty is impressive. However, it is my opinion that he understated the role of punishment as a deterrent to crime and not only as a means of protecting people from victimizers. It is important that people understand that punishment is the consequence of crime as this would not only reduce the rate of violent crimes, but also of nonviolent crimes.

Unfortunately, persons with closed minds are very likely to find this book difficult to read. Nevertheless, the author’s approach is a daring and thought-provoking one and in general, I thought it was a pretty impressive work. I therefore rate The Banned Book about Love 3 out of 4 stars. I would have given it a 4 if the author had paid more attention to other justifications for punishment than he did. I recommend the book to everyone, especially lovers of peace.

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The Banned Book about Love
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[Jaime Lync]

Very thorough review. I agree with you that punishment is a deterrent for crime just like pain is a deterrent to playing with fire.