[plug] 1984

[Larry O'Reilly]

At 6:53 AM +0800 29/5/99, Mim M wrote:
>
>It seems to me that parents are the only ones to decide when their children
>should learn about a particular topic, after all they know better than
>anyone when their children are ready.
>
It seems to me that Mim M's statement is very important when considering
matters such as censorship, crime rates, GST and probably almost any other
matter.

One takes a position on all these matters based on information derived from
many sources. Some are those which have been sought out, some are those
which passively come our way but a lot are those sources  which are sources
that are forced on us.

Most parents nowadays would tell you that television plays a huge role in
formulating the views and attitudes that their children hold and that the
"internet" is no different. They, the parents, do not have the power to
make the decisions that they see are in the best interests of their
children,in isolation. There are outside influences.

So Mim M is not correct.

I argue, society as a whole, and those individuals that comprise it, has
some moral responsibility to do all it can to ensure, that for the benefit
of itself as it judges, that it is guided along the best path available.

This is where censorship plays a part and I, as a parent would be
dissappointed, if I knew that a group of experts in a field were to say
that although something was wrong they oppose the regulatory authorities
acting in that field because of their "inexpertise".

Who is going to take responsibility?





Larry O'Reilly

Department of Microbiology
University of Western Australia

Tel  61 8 9346 2056
Fax  61 8 9346 4519