Three words wolfe: Get a life.

'an attempt is being made to manipulate the discussion.'
So the average OLO user is so easily malleable to an 'artificial' group consensus?

What is the real fear? Are the OLO residents really that scared of anything other than the current homogeneous bible-hating liberal-leftist majority opposed by a token few recalcitrant right-wing bible bashers who serve as people to castigate?

You sound like a homophobe offended at a few gay people entering the village. What's a matter, scared they'll turn you?

What has OLO got to to lose from more people joining in for whatever motives? And from whatever world view.

BTW: Perhaps if the Marsh groupies were made to feel little bit more welcome they'd have stayed around. You'd then have more fundys to fight, enhancing the enjoyment of even yourself on OLO.

Thanks for sharing, welbek.

If I can make a suggestion for next time, maybe a little less heat, a little more light.

wendy4senate: << I spoke with Brisbane Boys Grammar School very early on in this campaign and their parents and teachers are disgusted with the billboard advertising which is just outside their school. >>

From the article: << On the fence-line of one of Brisbane’s most prestigious boy’s schools there is a billboard advertising for “Two Naughty Bars” featuring highly sexual imagery of women. >>

So the offending billboard is (or was) actually outside the school, rather than "on the fence-line"? Just political poetic licence for effect, I guess.

woulfe - thanks for going to that effort to demonstrate what appears to be a well-rehearsed tactic by some fundamentalist Christian groups to skew debates at OLO in their favour. Perhaps it's a form of fundy "entryism"?

This tactic strikes me as akin to stacking a public meeting - it's not an honest attempt to debate the issues, rather it's a clumsy and transparent device to push a very partisan view. Anyway, we'll see if any of these latest new users responds to Severin's invitation to participate in other debates, rather than just cheer on their hero in this thread.

woulfe also makes a good point about parents who wish to shield their children from sexuality. Where I live, there are many more billboards promoting Christian messages and signs nailed to trees saying stuff like "The Lord's Return is Near" than there are that display sexual content. When my kids and grandkids have asked me about these strange messages, that engenders a discussion about the diversity of religious belief, which is probably a healthy thing. Similarly, billboards that prompt questions about sex and sexuality ought to be opportunities for parents to discuss these matters with their kids.

Howler - do you have anything at all to say about the article? Have you actually read it?

It would be nice to see some of the newer posters post to other topics if nothing more than to increase the OLO gene pool which may also help toward diluting some of the historical tensions.

I don't like the analogy that by criticising these billboards assumes some sort of fairy story telling about sex, by those same parents.

Why does one assume that those who would prefer billboards to be less overt given they are in public spaces, are also unwilling to be truthful with their children about sex? It is making assumptions about people we don't even know personally.

It is not like the internet - it cannot be filtered and there is no parental supervision.

Or are advocates of these billboards, going to argue that parents should be responsible and avoid these areas and pull their children out of those schools in which these billboards are erected. As some sort of geographical filter. It is too impractical for obvious reasons.

pelican,

It's in the article

'to avoid moments such as your six-year-old asking "What is Sexpo?" or "Why do you have to be sexy to drink Sprite?"'

CJ,

'do you have anything at all to say about the article? Have you actually read it?'

Unsurprising as it is that you are so interested in my incisive opinions, it's obvious that you're in deeper need of reassurance that your opinions are shared by myself so as you wont be swayed by the opinions of the intruders.

I'll put your mind at rest and assure you I think it's a load of bollocks. As you would no doubt know being such a close follower of my work, and seeing my tireless stand against pelican in issues like this. In fact it's the only thing I disagree with pelican about.

Of course in my response I ignore your obvious hypocrisy in sniping at my lack of attention to the actual article given the bulk of your own efforts here, and the obvious mark I hit with my last post which brought about your response.

I totally support & agree with Wendy's comments. I find sexually suggestive billboards make me feel uncomfortable, so it must be especially difficult for youths to be confronted by gigantic sized visual imagery. What we see makes a mark on our mind. To grow a responsible, caring adult male, what marks the minds of young men must be positive. Why encourage our men to grow up to be anything but great citizens? Let's see billboards encouraging them to do something for someone else in need instead. If money is the motivator, let it be for them to buy something worthwhile! Keep up the good fight folks. Our kids need us!