Redneck
Thanks for elevating this discussion to the absurd. Nobody is advocating the removal of all censorship. My point is that people are corrupting this issue to press their minority moral and ethical views. You state often that “most of us” do not agree with our current, adequate censorship laws. But where is your proof.

To further embellish your fallacious argument you mention a stripper at a 10 year olds party. What rubbish, haven’t you heard of parental responsibility? That is the real issue here.

The argument goes that BB is corrupting children but it has an MA 15+ rating. It is not the show that is at fault it is the parents that allow their kids to watch.

Your view seems to be that society has to look after what kids see, I totally disagree. Parents have this responsibility on an individual basis.

The logic of your argument follows that all things that are bad for kids should be banned. So how about banning them from being driven to school, walking is a healthier option or Junk food or video games or the beach (may see breasts eeek).

But of course there is a wider agenda here. It is called ban it because I don’t like it. In that case I would like to see the Lyons Forum, Australian Family Association, HR Nichols Society, Opus Dei etc. banned. Note I did not mention Family First who are doing the right thing engaging in politics and letting people vote for their ideas (even with their slimy deal with the Christian Democrats in NSW).

Nice try redneck, but you just failed the credibility test.

To all the other new members of OLO who have descended on this topic. I look forward to vigorous debate on many issues , unfortunately I suspect that will not happen. I think we will have more lost sheep bleating their leaders mantra. “Get a life a let us have ours” I am more than willing to do just that, it is you who are imposing your perverted view of life on the rest of us

If you want to watch porn that is your choice and there are places where you can get that stuff. That is your right.
But it is also our right that such perverted trash is not shown on public television . It has nothing good to recommend it, it has nothing uplifting,truelly educational about it. It is just something for sick minds played out be mentally ill people and it should never be where your children or mine get access to it.
This is where the government is showing it's yellow spine,it should be protecting young people ,not hiding behind a wobbly jelly.

Steve Madden,
You seem to really have a problem with the AFA.
You also seem to have a problem with the religious right.
On the one hand, you want them out of your life.
On the other, you look forward to 'vigourous debate.'

Do they really have a warped view on so many topics?
If so, is it warped according to your standard of orthodoxy, or some other?
If so, how did you arrive at the standard by which you measure - warped?
Are stable, honourable, gracious families a huge threat to freedom in society?
Examples please. Then we may understand what sort of society you are arguing for.

I am very grateful that we live in a country that allows all people to express their point of view on any topic. From the comments written it is obvious that the majority of contributors are decent minded people with a concern for our young people and our future society. I find the well written, well thought out comments uplifting and I can see that there are still a lot of people out there who want to keep the sewage pit from overflowing. I don't want to paddle in raw sewage, and I don't want my family to paddle in it either. The point I would like to express is that public television should be exactly that - providing shows that every family of any age can watch. Why should society cater for people who crave violence or pornography? Everyone has the freedom to watch what they want - but let those who crave junk obtain it for themselves - and watch it privately.

tennyson’s … etc

I do have a dislike for the religious right, I do not hide it and I welcome debate on all issues. My dislike stems from the fact that “they” are trying to mould our society to their views of what is ethically and morally correct to the detriment of others.

This started in my case with objection to embryonic stem cell research and the lies spread by the RR. I started to see a common argument against this research and on investigation found an organised movement which told people how to oppose this research. Purely based on their religious bigotry.

This bigotry extends to homosexuals, the women who agonise about having an abortion, RU486 and loosely defined pornography. It has infiltrated political parties especially the Liberal Party. When tested in our parliament the RR were soundly defeated on a conscience vote.

I believe in democracy and oppose minorities who exert disproportional influence. Especially when that influence is detrimental to many in our society.

Go back to your Ivory tower and realise the damage you and you kind are doing. I do not believe in a God even though I have a terminal illness.

Please live your life as you see fit but do not impose your illogical morals on me.

To Steve Madden.

The proof that parents are getting fed up of entertainment industries targeting their children for violent, profane and sexually explicit programs, is in the furore that has erupted over the recent antics on Big Brother.

Every civilised society on Earth has some sort of ratings system to protect children from entertainment industry programs which can harm children’s psychological development. That is a form of censorship which is convincing proof that these programs can indeed harm children. The big question is, why are so many programs today featuring extreme violence, profanity and sexual themes that are clearly directed at children, only given such low ratings? The answer is, of course, is that the entertainment industries constantly lobby the OFLC for lower ratings, while some members of the OFLC are on record as saying that they are opposed to censorship.

The raising of our society’s most precious resource, OUR children, is not just the sole responsibility of parents. It is the entire community’s responsibility. In any case, lousy parents have always existed and always will. How does that absolve the entertainment industries if they do not take that fact into account when they are producing products that are dangerous to children? Even good parents can not supervise their siblings every minute of the day. This is especially so for children of single parent households.

Around one third of today’s “families” are single parent. This usually entails a woman leading a heroic life trying to juggle a low paid job, with housework, and raising children. The children of these women are OUR communities most vulnerable, and those who are most in danger of being affected by the ever present media messages promoting anti social behaviour. Poor women are being besieged by well heeled entertainment industry executives who are targeting their disadvantaged children to exploit them.

I’ll bet you think that it is inly a coincidence that “Big Brother, Uncut” is always released at the start of every school holiday? If that is so, then once again, the servants of Mammon are proving themselves considerably smarter than the acolytes of Idealism.