The last week has been full of shock and disgust over the online bullying and subsequent suicide of Amanda Todd. I have listened to CKNW in Vancouver and heard calls for an end to anonymous Internet posts, Internet licensing, jail time for insensitivity (Why not, Britain does it...) and more laws restricting speech on the Internet. As sad as Amanda Todd's death was I don't think we can blame the Internet, and more importantly I think a free and open Internet has been extremely beneficial.
And for reasons you just might not believe!
We all hate pedophiles, right? And it was a perv who talked Amanda Todd into flashing, right? So how many pedophile rings were busted in the '70s or 80's? And how many recently? In the days of polaroids and limited contact between pedophiles how many individuals were caught exploiting children and how many children were saved from their abusers? And yet today hardly a week goes by that we don't hear of another ring busted or a child found and rescued and all this because pedophiles feel free to post their trophies on the Internet. How many faces have been unswirled? How many hotel rooms identified? Do we think pedophiles didn't abuse children before the Internet existed?
Do we think that the Internet is creating pedophiles? Like some think it creates neo-Nazi anti-semites? Sure some argue that the easy availability of child porn exacerbates the problem. Personally, I doubt seeing a 7 year old sparks an otherwise normal guy to become a pedophile anymore than seeing naked guys sparks gayness. Certainly some study would be useful but before - BEFORE- we start trying to turn the Internet in to some English tea house of civility.
No, I believe that the very openness of the Internet has helped us enormously. We can now identify the pedophiles much earlier, we can find the child pornographers, and we can bring justice to them. That's just one more reason I'd rather a free and open exchange of ideas on the Internet.
It let's us know who the whackos are.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Will BCL file a Police Report?
Isn't it nice for Warren that he can poke fun at the Christian saviour and no one wants to cut his head off?
Jesus was there to meet Justin, front and centre, and the Liberal leadership candidate didn’t even break into a sweat!
Still, one wonders if anyone will rush to file a police complaint.
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