Thought Police- Right or wrong?

[Niall!]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...iled-6-months/

Basically, this man was jailed for 6 months, his life ruined forever over a few drawings, not photos, of underage girls having sex. Now, was it right to arrest this man, bearing in mind he has never had a criminal record and has held a steady job for 12 years, just because of his personal tastes?

I say no. Arresting him on the grounds that he COULD assault a young girl is idiocy. It's like me owning a kitchen knife and being arrested because I COULD stab somebody with it.

Discuss.

[Spiffing]

At least he had the decency not to actually look at real pictures and draw them instead. I just think that's plain harsh.

[GommeInc]

Incredibly stupid. I have read about photographers (and seen their photographs) that took photos of (ex-)war zones like Vietnam, some of which include naked children. It's art. What's next, arresting writers who write about children porn or deeply disturbing texts where they're not writing personally? Stupid :/

[Stryderman]

The case began in 2006, when customs officials intercepted and opened a package from Japan addressed to Handley. Seven books of manga inside contained cartoon drawings of minors engaged in sexually explicit acts and bestiality.

Yeh but people buy them books because they are very collectable also they get ideas and inspirations for drawings of their own. Fair enough if it was actualy photos of girls but its not :S

[Misawa]

Incredibly stupid. I have read about photographers (and seen their photographs) that took photos of (ex-)war zones like Vietnam, some of which include naked children. It's art. What's next, arresting writers who write about children porn or deeply disturbing texts where they're not writing personally? Stupid :/

I wouldn't say war zone photos like Vietnam could be called "art", more relics of shock value. There is one photo in particular of the Vietnam war with a naked girl walking, and that became a symbol of the war, as did another of a man being shot, with the photo being taken half a second before the bullet was fired. Not art, just poignant shock journalism, but yes, I see what you mean.

People can draw what they like. If I drew a picture of someone killing someone, does that mean I should be arrested? That is art. Should the writer of Lolita be arrested for the content of the book? It is personal freedom to do what you like artistically. That's what art is - personal expression. Like, despite what the idiot named Spike Lee says, I can write the 'n' word as may times as I like in a screenplay, and it wouldn't be racist, because it's my freedom as a writer to write whatever the hell I want, just like it's my freedom as a film-maker to kill as many people as I see fit in a film. It doesn't mean I want to kill people in real life. It's artistic expression. The "law" is simply void of any sense these days.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Wrong, we have thought police everywhere now anyway. If you say anything against immigration you are racist, dont support militant gay rights then your homophobic. Its totally stupid and this case proves it futher.

[Smits]

This really is stupid.

Ok, so the guy has a sick taste in manga, but it's all fiction, fantasies and nothing more. I'm sure he's had them for long enough, yet he's never done anything. Theres no way you can say that he's going to abuse a child, just because he's seen drawings of it. What a shambles.

[Jordy]

While you could say it's art or something, I'd say that's besides the point. If it stops people looking at the real thing that's surely a good thing? I never understood what good could come of banning underage hentai a few years back. You have to be a bit sick and twisted to look at it, but what's the problem if it stops them from looking at the real thing? It's censorship tbh.

[Niall!]

I'm a tool that thinks killing in video games will lead to real murder bawwww

This is exactly the same thing, different material.

[Jordy]

This is exactly the same thing, different material.

What on earth are you on about? I have never said anything along those lines?