[LINK] why calm, rational thought is required....

[Stewart Fist]

Craig writes:

> sure they are. lots of porn viewers use the term porn or pr0n. they know
> what they're looking at, they know what it's called.

It's called 'erotica' when it is used in private or between consenting
adults.  Porn is the label applied by those not involved in the sexual
stimulation aspects, but experiencing the 'in-your-face' aspects.

> 
> unfortunately, however, some people go out of their way to find stuff
> that offends them in order to be able to complain about it.

Agreed. There are always extreme keepers-of-the-morals of the community who
take it upon themselves to speak out. But isn't this true of all arguable
aspects in our society.  You don't judge the mean by the extreme.

> they lobby hard to get whatever they don't like banned so
> that nobody can choose to look at it, even if they want to.

Some do, many don't.  Religious zealots do this will all kinds of moral
issues.  I am not religious, so that aspect doesn't worry me.  Except that I
recognise their rights also, which includes the right to comment on the
morals of others.  It only concerns me when they exert 'undue' power in the
political sense, and these days I don't think they exert much -- in
Australia, anyway.

But I am concerned with human rights, and so I seek a mean between those who
would flood the society with offensive material for commercial or
in-your-face reasons, and those who just want a quick vicarious thrill in
the privacy of the little back room.

> there's lots of things that are displayed publicly that i'd rather not
> see (cricket, football, big brother and other sur-reality TV, etc). i
> find these things at least as offensive as some people find pornography

Craig is being disingenuous here.  When an argument becomes ridiculous, I
opt out.


-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458