On October 26, 2016 Facebook took down and permanently banned author Amelia Smarts because of some of the tasteful and artistic imagery that she used in her marketing for her fictional novels and books. We, the writing community, feel this was a grave error that respresents silencing those who provide entertainment that adults choose to willfully and consensually purchase for their own entertainment. What Ms. Smarts provides for the literary community and entertainment value is done so with the sole and full intent of being a fictionalized entertainment experience, no different than watching a film or listening to music. A social media giant such as Facebook offers advertising campaigns and many other business tools to assist with professionals such as Amelia so they can provide their products to consumers using the Facebook platform. The fact that Facebook permanently banned Ms. Smarts and made her go through the hassle of proving her true identity and yet still dismantled her professional page is an example of abuse of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press as well as censorship of the worst sort: absolute removal of ones' art simply because someone else found it offensive. In a day and age where we can ban and ignore, as well as remove things from our newsfeeds, this is a travesty. If a person cannot enjoy fraternizing with their favorite writers by social media without someone else coming and removing the opportunity altogether, then I ask what is the point of social media? If not to entertain those of various and diverse walks of life in a place that is supposedly to socially tolerable then why else would consumers use the website? Please, put an end to this nonsense and assist those in the writing community. Readers are devastated by being unable to reach out to Ms. Smarts on her social media platform. Please, reinstate her Facebook page and support writing and literary endeavors for those of us who enjoy them.

 

Thank you.