Comments on: Carly’s Law

By: iq61

iq61 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:32:02 +0000

It is very hard to talk about these issues rationally with anyone. One close relative who suffered some abuse and unwelcome public advances and gropes sees potential abusers everywhere cannot discuss it without very heated emotion. I being probably too ugly as a child was relatively untroubled even by the priests and brothers who taught me.
It is courageous of you to point out how these laws are unhelpful ultimately. The fact is that governments don’t really resource police or human services to make these laws work but it looks as if the government did something. One thing unaddressed though is who benefits from these laws. Worried middle class parents driving their little darlings to school & sport must please the oil and car companies. The media loves it too. Ironically this worry is exposing children to much greater dangers such as increased road traffic, obesity and sensory deprivation. How does a child connect with nature or navigate the complexities of relationships when they are whisked to and from all of their rendezvous in cars?

By: Marco

Marco — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:27:37 +0000

Stubborn,

This may be indicative of a deep philosophical difference.

I am among those who believe that, for most purposes, true individual motivations are not only unknowable, but largely irrelevant. And I include economic thought in this.

Let’s say, I am a behaviourist. :)

By: stubbornmule

stubbornmule — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:53:51 +0000

Marco: while I do not agree with everything that Senator Xenophon says and he is certainly not media-shy, I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt in this instance and attribute his proposal to a genuine concerned response, albeit a misguided one. I think that he does take his parliamentary role seriously (his approach to FuelWatch being a case in point), but being human the emotional response can trump the rational one.

By: Marco

Marco — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:09:43 +0000

Stubborn,

Maybe I’m way too cynical, but this kind of knee-jerk reaction -to me- looks like a cheap way of getting headlines.

The objective merits of the proposal are irrelevant, from the proposer’s point of view. What he wants is to position himself as visibly as possible on the victims’ side.

In two words: simple demagoguery.