Government officials also have the power to punish private citizens who don't do what they are "asked." It couldn't be more clear than that.
Around you go....
Government officials have not been delegated the "power to punish private citizens who don't do what they are asked".
Cite such delegated power.
You are being willfully obtuse because you lack the integrity to concede the point you have been bested on by several posters.
Show a little dignity why don't you?
I would point to the DOJ lawsuits against Microsoft when Bill Gates wouldn't donate money to the Democrats. I would point to the IRS audits of Bill O'Reilly and The Heritage Foundation. Power to abuse citizens isn't "delegated," but the power to direct Government agencies to harass and abuse citizens is used nevertheless. But you know that and you can't possibly believe otherwise. And that is why Government Officials should not be "asking" "private citizens," or "retailers" to "ban" things that are Constitutional, such as books, that those same officials find offensive. Would you state that these elected officials would be within of their Constitutional rights to start "asking" "private citizens" or "retailers" to "ban" sales of the Bible?
You don't sound like you've ever had to run a business. You need to interact with federal, state, and local bureaucrats on a regular and frequent basis: zoning requests, various licenses, building permits, food-handling inspections (if you serve food or drink, which many branches of Barnes & Nobles, for example, do), taxing disputes, etc, etc.
A powerful political establishment has the power to make life difficult for a business owner if they choose to
What business owner would like to risk "informal" (and unprovable) retaliation over a few hundred dollars (at most) of profit margin?