8 posts tagged “censorship”

This email response makes for an excellent study for how the AG approaches his job and especially criticism. Firstly, the usage of the term Mr Anonymous. (He should be so lucky) After having read my email and then my blog he still doesn’t know my name. Now this could be simple inattention to detail but I think he is trying to invalidate the criticism by falsely claiming it was made anonymously. A desperate start designed to inflame.

Of course this follows his aggressive behaviour as shown on the Good Game program. An approach that automatically sets folk against his cause. What we were hoping for was a straight forward point of view that could be defended on its merits. I have no doubt a solid discussion could be had on this matter but not by young Michael. He seems to have decided there is a conspiracy underway run by prepubescent male gamers.

I did apologise for claiming he does not use email. Apparently asking for a postal address is his way of sorting the abuse from the criticism. I have no doubt that he gets plenty of crank efforts especially from a few youngsters but surely a read of the content enables him to work out which ones are just some kid venting and which ones have a point to make. (I suggested a count of the F word would be a good starting point)

This is next effort is particularly irrelevant.

I trust you will be a candidate for the State District of Croydon at the next State election,

The logic of this statement escapes me. Obviously he doesn't think other folks views are worth considering. A childish argument. By way of education for the AG this is how it works.

How does 1 individual change a system that allows one AG to block legislation? By drawing attention to the problem for a big swag of Voters. When enough Voters demand better performance from their politicians, things get done right.

I offer, as an example, the demise of John Howard. He didn’t address the problems of the future. Folk recognised his short comings. And he lost the Election AND his own seat.

What’s with the “If you don’t agree with me you have to stand against me” argument? I hope this is not your solution to all the email complaints. The inference here is he will do what he bloody well likes rather than follow the wishes of the Voters if he chooses not to agree with them. Not quite what Democracy is supposed to be.

Now in the AG’s particular case it sounds like his efforts with migrants is well received and I applaud his efforts, but being effective for those folk doesn’t (or shouldn’t) allow him to be “out to lunch” on a different matter entirely.

Now to the diatribe bit. If he cared to read my anti war material before leaping to some odd conclusions, he would see it is much more relevant than trying to stop software entering the country. It’s aimed at the business end of the problem. Countries ignoring the UN and ramping up the frustration throughout the Middle East. You know, the folk with real guns and bombs and no moral limits on who they might use them against.

He clearly didn’t get the point of the criticism. I’m not here to defend any game scenarios. (I’m a FPS gamer who usually dials the blood off) I’m for getting a ratings system that can be controlled and reduces the risk of bringing in software with no controls at all. By not addressing the problem he encourages law breaking.

This next bit I don’t get at all.

** from meeting them in their lounge rooms (and now you will be horrified, Mr Anonymous) after the service outside their pagoda, mosque or church.**

Now why would I be horrified by him chatting to constituents outside any Church venue, be it Christian or otherwise? Obviously he is better at leaps of logic than following the point.

In conclusion, I think I can see why he is having so much trouble coming to grips with the problem. It’s all about personal vendettas. He thinks every criticism is from a rude gamer rather than something he should apply his brain to.

Now that he has had a swipe at the Eros Foundation I will invite them to comment and see what sort of behaviour they have observed in their battles with the AG. I don’t think I will be the only one to have experienced his twisted responses.

And if you have read this and are still unhappy Mr Atkinson, I'd be only too happy to publish your response if you are unable to post a comment.

Last week I received an unhappy email from the South Aussie AG about my blog piece bemoaning his influence. I sent him a reply to give him a chance to do a better job of it but he has not taken advantage of this opportunity so here, in all its glory, is the email.

The next post will address the tactics and shortcomings of the AG’s email. Clearly, he got lost in the first attempt.

Dear Mr Anonymous

Your Blog site contains the false imputation that I do not use email because I cannot use email.

The reason I ask email correspondents for a street address is owing to the large number of crank emails I receive on this topic (and a few others).  I do not reply into the ether to threatening, abusive and illiterate emails I receive from people with pseudonyms and people who may or may not live in Australia.   Most of the letters on this topic fall into that category (I shall be reading to Parliament a selection of emails on this topic).  I think it a proper courtesy to correspond with a real person at a real address, not a phantom.

I look forward to your action matching your rhetoric.  I trust you will be a candidate for the State District of Croydon at the next State election, due in March, 2010.  At the last election I won more than 76 p.c. of the two-party preferred vote.  I have held Croydon for 19 years, but, owing to the gaming industry being run by billion-dollar multinational corporations, I am sure any candidate running against me on this issue would be lavishly funded. 

My electorate has the highest proportion of people from a non-English-speaking background of any of the 47 electorates in South Australia.  My new-citizen and new-constituent letters and my election material need to be printed in 40 languages other than English.  If one is a Christian Sudanese who has escaped a lifetime of war and chaos and who speaks in Dinka and reads in Arabic and is trying to find lodgings for the family, find employment and sponsor relatives from the old country, one's vote is hardly likely to hinge on the "right" to score gamer points by running down and killing pedestrians on the pavement, cutting people in half with absurdly large calibre shells, blowing oneself up in a market, killing a prostitute to recover the fee one just paid her, injecting drugs or raping a woman using the computer controls.

Ditto for Bosniak Muslims, Burmese, Hazara Afghans, Congolese, Rwandans, Kossova Albanians and Orthodox Bosnian Serbs who have been subjected to the practical instead of the virtual suffering on computer screen.  Actually, I know some of these constituents' views on censorship: from street-corner meetings, letters, phone calls, from meeting them in their lounge rooms (and now you will be horrified, Mr Anonymous) after the service outside their pagoda, mosque or church.

For years, Fiona and Robbie of the Eros Foundation (the front for sex shops) have been saying they are going to get rid of me at the next election, and they brandish the lists of names and addresses of people to whom they sell X-rated videos.  Fiona and Robbie write to them and tell them not to vote for me.   What Fiona and Robbie can't grasp is that pornography addicts don't vote as pornography addicts - they vote as Australian citizens.

Don't forget to nominate for the election in February 2010, Mr Anonymous, and don't forget to include the result in Croydon in your Blog.

Michael Atkinson

Member for Croydon

P.S. If you really believe in freedom of communication, will you publish this reply unexpurgated on your Blogsite?

Senator,

I was deeply disappointed with your contribution on The Media Report last week. Especially the defensive approach you took to the interview. I was hoping that now we had thrown out Howard we might actually get a Communications Minister with a bit more of a clue about the field. Instead we were treated to a Howardesque performance of blaming the Voters for voting Labor on no less than 4 occasions. It’s not a good look. It smacks of knowing you are following a dud path but not having the courage to back out of an error of judgement.

You also seem to have rewritten history over the Election result. We voted Labor to get rid of Little Johnnie not to support an attack on our freedoms and a slowing down of our Internet speed. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn’t Labor present itself as a non conservative party? Doesn’t it stand for personal freedoms free of religious interference and a fair go? I bloody well hope so because that’s why I voted Labor.

The fact that you are pursuing this censorship in the mistaken view that it attacks the problem of child pornography shows a distinct lack of understanding of the medium and to claim the process does not inhibit Net speed is mischievous in the least and downright dishonest in the cold light of day.

At the very least you should recognise you are opening a Pandora’s Box of trouble by going down this path. Firstly, you are destroying your credibility with the more technical in the country but even more of a problem, you will have every nut case and special interest group queued up outside your office try to get their pet hates barred from access. Imagine the mess and guess who will be known to be RESPONSIBLE? You won’t be able to walk away from responsibility even on the commercial stations when the grief hits the fan as it most certainly will.

Please stop wasting our money on this pipe dream. How about redirecting your efforts into improving our connection speed or putting some pressure on Telstra instead of hitting soft targets like ISPs? It would be worthwhile and give you some respect with the Voters.

Most of the Labor Ministers have been a breath of fresh air. I hope you can get back on track and join them.

I am posting this open letter on my blog next to the summary of The Media Report program in which you appeared.

Peter Mc