hope | (no subject)

In the lead up to our federal election later this year, our two major parties are competing to make as many close-minded, conservative policies as possible. Last week they banned gay marriage. Now they're trying to ban internet pornography, because it causes children to commit more sex crimes. here's an opinion piece on the same issue, stating basically the same thing.

personally, I think there should be legislation *ensuring* that parents take responsibility for what their children view online - maybe mandatory filters on PCs in houses with kids in them? - as opposed to a blanket ban of pornography coming in through australian ISPs. Because, dude? I think that's going a bit far. Yeah, something has to be done; but it's like banning all alcohol because teenagers are becoming alcoholics. Banning all internet pornography in australia would be a basic violation of adult human rights - ie. the basic right to choose. And I'm aware of the fact that the practical definition of 'rights' and 'liberty' comes with the footnote "as long as it doesn't infringe on the liberty of others", and the argument of the gvt here is that children viewing online porn are infringing on the rights of others, then dude - stop *children* from viewing it. Not *everyone*. (could carry on about how the opinion piece talked about how it was "men" viewing porn, but will leave that to another day.)

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maybe the government needs to make some positive pornography, or be more active in education.

"No man who regularly uses pornography can have a healthy sexual relationship with a woman."

HAHA! I knew I was gay for a reason.

i am woefully ignorant of the basic laws of the land where you are; do you have the equivalent of the USA First Amendment? What recourse to the opponents of the ban have?

nooo, no filters for houses with kids in them, or I'll never read fanfic!!11!!

I'm just fine at handling my kids, thankyouverymuch.

Life would be so much easier if parents took responsibility for raising their children instead of relying on everyone else to do so.