I really don't want to write any more about this Bill Henson stuff, but this morning on the ABC's AM programme, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty practically admitted that the debate around the Bill Henson affair was farcical.
The interview was regarding seventy people who have been arrested in a nationwide child pornography bust called Operation Centurion, not affiliated with the Henson investigation.
The AFP along with state police forces had been looking at paedophile communities online and 'how they trade images of child pornography on the internet'.
"And this is the issue Tony," he said. "For the 2,800 IP addresses that were looking at these images, they're continuing the abuse of these children. And these children ... these children aren't in passive poses ... there's been some debate recently about art and child pornography. These are children that are being abused and in some of the images there are adults and there is no doubt, no question this is child pornography," he said.
Gerard, Kevin, Morris, Hetty, Miranda, Andrew and Paul - Do you get it now??
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Some real police work
Posted by Nicholas Pickard at 10:13 am
Labels: Censorship, News, Visual Arts
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2 comments:
Yes Mr Keelty, indeed. Bravo! At last, some logical and balanced common sense.
The shame of the Henson Affair is how it has served only to distract the police from REAL investigations of ACTUAL child sex abuse by ACTUAL paedophiles and child sex abusers. I have never seen REAL child pornography ... and for the police and investigators who have been forced to dance like puppets on strings as a result of curiously misguided instructions from 'above', perhaps you should sit those who instructed you in the first place in front of one of these confiscated computers and show them what REAL and ACTUAL child pornography looks like.
‘Art Censorship: the Bigger Picture’ is the title of a public forum to be held on 12th June in Sydney. In the interests of stimulating some informed and thoughtful public debate, a group of highly respected speakers will take a measured look at the topic in light of the furore surrounding recent censorship of the work of well-known artist Bill Henson.
The forum is co-convened by Watch on Censorship a community organisation with the goal of protecting and promoting the rights of adult Australians to freedom of speech and expression in all media, and the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), the peak body representing and advancing the professional interests of the Australian visual arts, craft and design sector. The event is also proudly sponsored by Frankel Lawyers: arts, media and entertainment.
The forum will run from 6.00pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 12th June 2008, at the Foundation Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. The evening’s proceedings will be introduced by Margaret Pomeranz, ABC TV film critic and President of Watch on Censorship. The discussions will be chaired by David Marr, lawyer, writer and journalist and Vice President of Watch on Censorship.
Panel Speakers
Ian Howard is an artist, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW and Chair of the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA). He will provide an artist’s perspective about his experience in testing the boundaries in relation to militarism and national security, self censorship, and the vagaries of audience interpretation.
Gallery speaker (TBC). He/she will offer the gallery perspective on art censorship discussing galleries as ‘special’ places, curatorial decision making, dealing with sensitive subject matter, and managing complaints and threats.
Hetty Johnston, is Executive Director and founder of Bravehearts Inc. which aims to engender child sexual assault prevention and protection strategies, advocate for understanding, promote increased education and research, and provide healing and support. Ms Johnston will give her views on the boundaries of public tolerance in relation to art and protection of the child.
Julian Burnside QC, is a barrister, writer and President of Liberty Victoria, has acted pro bono in many human rights cases and is passionate about the arts. He will elaborate the law in relation to art censorship and how it is exercised, including the complexities of ‘intention’, ‘context’, ‘reasonableness’, public attitudes, protecting human rights & freedom of expression.
Clive Hamilton, is a prolific writer and public commentator and immediate past Executive Director of The Australia Institute. He will comment on community standards, public moral codes, and limits to freedom of expression.
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