Dear Winston Bates,

Incitement is a criminal offense. A generic advocacy of violence is not. Inciting a lynch mob to go after a particular person within reach of the mob is incitement. In order for advocacy of violence to be incitement it must present a clear and present danger. The obnoxious and loathsome words of the musician did not present a clear and present danger to any identifiable person so is not incitement.

Justice Holmes of the US Supreme Court used the example of shouting "Fire" in a crowded theatre where there was no fire as speech which presents a clear and present danger.

david f
well said.

This stuff is intended to shock (and it succeeds). It is not intended to be taken literally. When Tyler shouted “who is going to go out of here tonight and rape and kill someone?" I’m guessing no-one actually went out and did it. Even the most avid fans are not going to act these vile fantasies out

So the loathsome Tyler's foul entreaties have no effect, eh? And violent videos and video games that allow the players to kill on a screen don't contribute to murder, do they?

And training men to be killers in the army has no effect on their behaviour, does it? And UFC cage fighting teaches people to be pacifists, doesn't it?

And pornography doesn't channel human minds into sordid rituals, does it? And dirty books and bizarre films like the Silence of the Lambs are so harmless they could be shown in Sunday School, couldn't they?

There are some really stupid people in this world, aren't there?

They deny cause and effect exists.

Dear David G,

Cause and effect does exist. However, I am not willing to give you or anyone else the power to decide what I should and should not say.

Who would you trust to decide what you are permitted to say?

To DavidF

I disagree with your post.

The concept that art, literature and filmatic creativity should not suffer the heavy hand of censorship is a noble one. By giving creative people the freedom to explore social issues, our society can evolve by critically examining it's long accepted values, as changing times alters the basic premises upon which current values and attitudes are built.

But this worthy idea is being exploited by greedy entrepreneurs who are marketing a "youth culture" that does not make the slightest pretence to artistic merit. "Youth culture" has become a marketing tool where young people are having an anti social culture invented for them by an industry which is only concerned with it's quarterly balance sheets.

Children, adolescents and young teenagers are being encouraged to take illegal drugs, engage in violent criminal behaviour, treat women abominably, and engage in youth gang behaviour, by highly paid media executives. Well heeled artists with personnel jets, mansions and share portfolio's, and their polished promoters and marketing managers, are no longer pushing the values of accepted taste. They are busily digging away at the foundations of family values upon which your civilisation is built.

It is creditable that you did not visit the venue in which the rap star now visiting Australia did his act. But avoiding personal performances is hardly the answer to the fact that his violence promoting message is accessible even to children. This anti social message is being transmitted by the airwaves to radio, TV sets, and Ipods that are now everywhere, even on toys.

The entertainment media is now creating songs and video clips extolling to our children the virtues of taking drugs, raping their mothers, and bashing their girlfriends. And the movies are glorifying the lifestyles of car thieves, violent criminals, bank robbers, hired murderers, bikie gangs, and vigilantes. We have it in the power of the Australian constitution to insist upon higher standards.

However much the entertainment industry will scream if we do this, the fact is that they are making obscene amounts of money and they will comply if we demand it.

Dear Lego,

I do not trust you to decide what I should and should not say. Do you propose setting up some authority to decide what is proper expression? I would not ban any expression simply because I find it loathsome. I do not believe I should have the right to decide what others say even though they may make obscene amounts of money saying it.

In addition to the vile lyrics of Tyler the Creator, rock music, all Australian team sports, the Olympics, the Anzac spirit which glorifies a military debacle, country music and many other things in Australian society are not to my liking. However, I like living here in general and need pay no attention to any of the foregoing things which I find obnoxious or silly. Just as I don't go see Tyler I don't go to the other things I mentioned. However, I don't think I have a right to stop those things or to prevent others from viewing or participating.