[ExI] RES: age of mockery

[Stefano Vaj]

On 17 October 2012 18:09, Charlie Stross <charlie.stross at gmail.com> wrote:

> On the contrary; the criminalization of child pornography is a *perfect*
> example of why we don't actually have free speech in the west.
>
> (A case can be made that photographs of child abuse are evidence of a
> crime being committed. But what about cartoons, or textual descriptions?
> One of which is explicitly, and the other of which is implicitly, illegal
> in the UK?)
>

The subject of "children pornography" is a perfect litmus test in any
discussion on freedom of speech, because paedophilia involves a tiny
minority of the population, whose an even smaller percentage does not feel
guilty about their sexual orientation, and is simply horrifying to many
non-paedophiles.

Now, in Italy laws exist against statutory rape of children. No big deal,
rather obvious rationales exist behind such legislation even though
sometimes no conceivable "rape", including in a metaphorical sense is
actually taking place.

Then, a prohibition exists against pornography representing that, even
though arguably the children's interest are not further affected by that
(let alone in the event of fake reproductions, or of purely artificial
pornography, say, of a computer-generated, literary or pictorial nature).
Then, Then, there mere *possession* of such material, unless you can offer
evidence that this is entirely involuntary, and irrespective of the fact
that one might have obtained it for free and for his or her private use,
become punishable. Then, a law has just being enacted sanctioning... the
mere apology of child pornography. I fully expect that criticising the law
sanctioning the apology of child pornography will soon be criminalised as
well, and surely any such criticism would already be automatically banned
by any mass media or public debate.

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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