[LINK] Helen Lovejoy Gets Her Way [Was: Why the IWF was wrong to lift its ban on a Wikipedia page]

[David Boxall]

<http://newmatilda.com/2008/12/12/helen-lovejoy-gets-her-way>
>
>  Research in criminology suggests that the criminal law is effective
>  only as a device to reinforce existing community values, and that the
>  legitimacy of a law is threatened when criminal prohibitions and
>  sanctions on specific forms of conduct are not aligned with community
>  norms, or lack common support. This is particularly so where the
>  community views either the prohibition unreasonable or the penalties
>  as disproportionate to the offence, or otherwise unreasonable.
>
>  If respect for child pornography laws is lost, their legitimacy is
>  diminished and the fight against child abuse becomes that much more
>  difficult. The absurdity of this decision risks trivialising the very
>  real problem of child abuse.

Do the hysterical child-porn extremists realise the harm they do?
 
-- 
David Boxall                    |  The more that wise people learn
                                |  The more they come to appreciate
                                |  How much they don't know.
                                                        --Confucius