Today's news on the break up of a ring of paedophiles who distribute pictures of child abuse on the internet:
Irish Times
Guardian UK
Note how neither newspaper uses the term 'Child Pornography', but this is the phrase repeated over and over today in the radio coverage.
Is it not time to abandon the term 'Child Pornography' when referring to these crimes? Pornography implies 'top shelf' publications, or the dodgy videos that teenage boys giggle about at weekend sleepovers. Pornography, however exploitative, has become a legal industry, and so implies an element of consent by those who take part.
Pictures and videos of children should be called the commercialisation of child abuse. Those who view these images are not some kind of pervy peeping toms.
They are child abusers.
In the same way as the person who employs a hitman is guilty of murder, so are those who pay others to abuse children guilty of child abuse.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Hope for the Celtic tiger
It was just starting to rain this morning when I went out for a walk. But it was impossible to be too downbeat. I was listening to the radio as I walked, and the airways were full of the historic decision by the Greens to go into government. Now I've always been a green supporter, although I wouldn't say I'm a big political head. I enjoy watching politics at election time, much like the fair-weather football fans who only watch the matches when Ireland makes it into something important.
I had been taken in a bit by all the talk of the day before, about how the Green Party membership might have voted down the coalition agreement, and I have to say, I was feeling a little peeved. It's great to see democracy in action of course, but I couldn't help feeling that those of us who voted Green (as opposed to the actual members of the party), weren't expecting to have our influence brushed away by someone in another constituency.
But in the end it all came out for the best, and the nay-sayers had to take a lot back because the motion passed with a huge majority, way more than the two thirds majority needed.
So back to my walk. The next thing up on the radio was the Tubridy Show. Ryan was interviewing Caroline Casey the founder of the O2 ability awards. The award ceremony last night was apparently a huge success, with plenty of business attendees and foreign businesses attending to see what they could learn.
So there it was, a nice warm feeling.-
Ireland being noticed in a positive light for once in regard to our treatment of the disabled (although of course there's still a long way to go.)
The Green Party in government, which will hopefully help us take a step in the right direction on climate change.
And last, but by no means least, last night a political party leader resigned. He had just led his party to a good election result. He had overseen the negotiation of a deal to bring his party into government for the first time. He had secured two ministerial positions for a parliamentary party of just six TD's. Hardly a failure. So why did he resign? Because he said he would. Weird? In Ireland? Maybe there's hope for us yet....
I had been taken in a bit by all the talk of the day before, about how the Green Party membership might have voted down the coalition agreement, and I have to say, I was feeling a little peeved. It's great to see democracy in action of course, but I couldn't help feeling that those of us who voted Green (as opposed to the actual members of the party), weren't expecting to have our influence brushed away by someone in another constituency.
But in the end it all came out for the best, and the nay-sayers had to take a lot back because the motion passed with a huge majority, way more than the two thirds majority needed.
So back to my walk. The next thing up on the radio was the Tubridy Show. Ryan was interviewing Caroline Casey the founder of the O2 ability awards. The award ceremony last night was apparently a huge success, with plenty of business attendees and foreign businesses attending to see what they could learn.
So there it was, a nice warm feeling.-
Ireland being noticed in a positive light for once in regard to our treatment of the disabled (although of course there's still a long way to go.)
The Green Party in government, which will hopefully help us take a step in the right direction on climate change.
And last, but by no means least, last night a political party leader resigned. He had just led his party to a good election result. He had overseen the negotiation of a deal to bring his party into government for the first time. He had secured two ministerial positions for a parliamentary party of just six TD's. Hardly a failure. So why did he resign? Because he said he would. Weird? In Ireland? Maybe there's hope for us yet....
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