[LINK] Free speech in Australia

Jan Whitaker jwhit at melbpc.org.au
Tue Aug 1 18:51:33 AEST 2006


At 12:34 PM 1/08/2006, Frank O'Connor wrote:
>'States rights' and federal government rights are enshrined in our 
>Constitution - and very little else. Read it and weep.
>
>But don't get involved in debate about freedom of speech in Australia, or 
>our supposed rights ... until we actually do have rights.

Agreed, Frank. This is one area where Australia and America certainly 
diverge, although you couldn't tell by how the Constitution is being shat 
upon by the right in the US at the moment (since the turn of the century 
under Bush!).

But maybe this is a case where practice is stronger than the law. If we all 
act as if we do have a Bill of Rights, and real, as in actual, respect for 
the UN Charter of Human Rights, it may actually come into being. It's sort 
of like laughing at your enemies as buffoons instead of taking them too 
seriously. That's why satire in cartooning works so well.

It's a dream, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!

Jan

Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
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'Seed planting is often the most important step. Without the seed, there is 
no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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