Part 2
I very strongly disagree with the claims being made that Harris actions were minor (although there are far worse things in the world).
The characterisation of digital penetration of children and other forms of groping as hand slipage and minor is deeply concerning. I don't agree that Harris should have a reduced sentence because of other things he has lost. To clarify for Paul my point about the awards was that as far as I'm aware they seem to have been general recogition awards rather than for specific actions, given what Harris had been doing there is not no basis for an award for service to the arts (or similar) to be valid.

Overall I disagree with much of what I've read of individuals posts on this topic but I do think the points he makes about the way others are not dealt with is an aspect that is worthy of discussion.

R0bert

RObert,

I do take your point...and yes the discussion has become bogged down regarding individual's intransigence in the face of all the evidence. I'm inclined, as you know, to respond when I'm impugned and individual has "got right up my nose" several times in this discussion.

Being as this thread is ostensibly about Rolf Harris, I'd like to point out in the face of some lamenting that others are getting away with the things he was pinged for, how long he got away with his behaviour - just being known as the "Octopus".

http://www.smh.com.au/world/seven-women-who-have-gone-public-about-sex-abuse-by-rolf-harris-since-he-was-convicted-20140707-zsyl0.html

Tale upon tale of him not only groping, but slipping his hand in quick time under women's panties. It seems he had no shame - on live TV, at garden parties - you name it, he was trying it on.

Only the fact that most of these instances were with grown women stopped him from going further and enabled him to keep getting away with the behaviour.

(Right is Right ain't getting a reply to his/her loony comments from me)

It was all circumstantial evidence, hearsay evidence, and he said she said evidence. So the jury had to make a decision based not on empirical evidence, but on opinion, old stories and hate from the witness box against Rolf Harris.

He was convicted on the 'opinion' from the witness box, that transferred to 'opinion' from the jury. Empirical proof? Nah, there was none and nobody cared about that. They just wanted their name in lights, their 5 minutes of glory and a conviction. They succeeded, they got what they wanted, and the press made a fortune in extra sales. That's how the system works, and justice based on proper evidence be damned.

Dear R0bert,

You wrote;

“Overall I disagree with much of what I've read of individuals posts on this topic but I do think the points he makes about the way others are not dealt with is an aspect that is worthy of discussion.”

Of course the proposition that some are not dealt with even handedly in matters such as this is worthy of discussion.

But I don't think it is an excuse to move past individual's comments either.

Firstly because his points were on the whole flippant and dismissive of the gravity of child molestation. Recall his cry for those who have 'lost their family harmony because of your Leftie idealist ALP governments” or “in high density housing whose babies suffer the agony of music noise”.

Secondly there would have been many who had observed Harris acting inappropriately and assuaged their guilt by saying 'well it is at the bottom end of the scale so I won't make a fuss', 'anyway look at all his art and good works he does'.

I have no doubt if he had been brought to book earlier children, many of them yet unnamed would have been spared sexual assaults from him.

One of the primary lessons from the whole sorry case is that we should challenge and act on inappropriate behaviour.

I'm not sure there are too many people who feel individual's behaviour on this thread was in any manner appropriate. Since he has not dealt with it then I feel it is incumbent on the rest of us to state quite clearly that he has crossed the line and not be allowed to shirk the responsibility of his words.

As to Right is Right and Lester1 they are either individual's sock puppets or a true trolls, hollow men.

Poirot, no disagreement on that. I'm not convinced that you will make a difference but I've had my moments when I've felt the need to stick with similar issues.

Steeleredux, "One of the primary lessons from the whole sorry case is that we should challenge and act on inappropriate behaviour". That's been a thought on my mind in regard to this. I have the impression that there were a number of adults who at the time made the assumption that the behaviour was isolated and didn't act on it.

I understand that stance but wonder if there are ways the legal system could track "minor" complaints to help identify patterns without creating opportunity for malicious witchhunts. I use the word "minor" to indicate offences where the person making the complaint does not consider it in isolation to be worth the pain of a prosecution but which if part of a larger pattern would warrent action.

R0bert

and then there came the which hunts

we saw you looking[a thought crime]
nanny state gone mad

rob/QUOTE<<,but wonder if there are ways\the legal system could track "minor" complaints to help identify patterns without creating opportunity for malicious witchhunts."~

ER
NO

LOOK ROB/ALLREADY WE ARE MORE SURVEILED THAN ANY who came before us[high security clearance/excepted]

but te point is/w allrwady bein watched/more kiddy fiddlers than ever in the prison higer education/crime incarceration-system

mate police need police crime not everytime a guy is caught looking

its gotten insane/i lived in the 60's]saw the beginning of this freelove thing[and watched as govt destrOYED IT WITH DRUG WARS AND/the war against 'aids[putting into our minds/the thought my next lover could kill me

it ended the love/over night
just a the elite wanted/decentralise what stuff and nonsense/divide and conqueer

<<I use the word "minor" to indicate offences""

offences againt qwho/the machines watyching the few?

<<<where the person making the complaint""

oops do i hear natzie stasie nsa/mosad asio/
you westate?does not consider it in isolation to bvill monitor old men/looking foa thrill

and them old bagsthat admit to liking sall boys
or baby smelling/bewares/your realising hell on earth

<< worth the pain of a prosecution but which if part of a larger pattern would warrent action.""

i have this app[for a mobile phone]
you push the app button/and every recording device in the vicinity switches itself on

one scream/the causation is gone
a pannic button[or monitor te kids heart rate/is how the spirit/judges

as we know its not the name/lablke of what we do
but the fruits be they bitter or sweet
its the result/of our act*

what good did your act do
what inury/why send little girls to stand on stages/in little skirts/just like groan-sups/flirt*

its a morrass/what fear will govt instil uin us next
to yet further divide us/rolf IS A BETTER MAN THAN GEORGE BUSH
yet they arnt as low as we humans have become/the pussy-mess needed airing