HP, Australian Laws and ANZAC Day

[melwil]

As you can tell from the subject, this is going to be a fun post.

I'm so utterly disgusted with the Harry Potter fandom right now. I'm pretty close to just pulling out, to enjoying the books on their own without fic or the rest of the crap that goes with it.

Yes, we've got some wacky laws in Australia. In fact, up until a couple of years ago you could be arrested for whistling in a park in Ipswich. And witchcraft was a crime across Queensland. Not to mention the much scarier laws we have in this country.

But then, I'm from Queensland, where the opposition party want us to pay for a fricking statue of Sir Joh, the former premier of Queensland who wouldn't know what demoncracy was if it bit him on the backside. Think these kind of laws 'infringe on your rights'? Well, read the opinion page in today's Courier Mail about a campaign waged to "protect Queensland's schoolchildren from the anti-Christian, anti-family, socialist-humanist cells active within the education department." The material being protested contained a discussion about euthenasia and a video with seagulls mating.

This was a time when school libraries were subject to massive censorship, people who dared to be contrary to the government had 'Special Branch' files, and in the mid-80's, at the University of Queenland, "police armed with crowbars raided the refectory building toilets to remve condom-vending machines, with Bjelke-Petersen arguing that 'we don't want that sort of thing up here.'"

This is the man that was voted as 'the best Queenslander ever' in a newspaper poll. Honestly, that's a lot scarier then any law that means you might have to post fic at a different archive.

~*~
There's been some kerfuffle on my firneds list about ANZAC day yesterday. Personally I think it's complex. Not the day necessarily, but people's conceptions of it.

Personally, I think it's an important day about remembering why war is a bad thing, and that we fight against that kind of massive death and distruction if we can. Some thing it's a day about quiet reflection. Some think it's a good excuse for a few beers. And some use it to justify the wars we fight today.

It's complex, but then so are we. And wouldn't we be dull if we all thought like John Howard?

Comments

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Good points, good perspective.

I wouldn't dare make complaints about ANZAC day - not when so many died.

[melwil.livejournal.com]

I have so much respect for the oddballs on ANZAC day - the ones who weren't young and fit males volunteering for their glorious duty. Like the Vietnam Motorcycle group who are as loved in their vests and black clothes, as the other men in their suits. And the women who served before the military had integration. I think the ANZAC stories forget these people sometimes, unfortunately

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

They are, everyone pictures the movie 'Gallipoli' type people I suppose. I do, more than anything else, memories of school. The teachers used to use that movie, when we got too rowdy, they'd put that on to quiet us down. Always worked. Those final scenes would pretty much knock the fight out of everyone.

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

Was the kerfuffle just me? Or was it other people too?

And yeah, weird that all this stuff about Australian law comes up at the same time as Joh dying.

[melwil.livejournal.com]

There was another person posting her view - which I think probably upset a few people.

I think there are real worries with law around the world, and this is not one of them. And the way people are treating each other is terrible.

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

I only upset one person enough to post. *g* And seriously, people should listen to "Small Town". I love hearing it each year. But for me, that's enough.

I think there are real worries with law around the world, and this is not one of them.

Agreed, although somehow I haven't managed to get around to saying it any more publicly than this.

*sigh*

[melwil.livejournal.com]

Personally, I loved what you said on Liz's LJ, and wished I could say it like that *g*

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

*goes back and looks at what I said*

Oh, hey - I did! Yay, me. I quite like what I said, now that I look at it. *g*

And as I believe that post ended up on f-w (*sigh*) that's good'n'public...*sigh again*

[melwil.livejournal.com]

Only a screenshot of Liz and Bernice and one other person I believe.

The whole thing is giving me a good reason to get out of Harry Potter craziness for good.

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

f_w terrifies me. ... Partly because I have been specifically wanked by them. They're like vultures ripping apart carcasses. o_o

[melwil.livejournal.com]

I have never been wanked. I'm too under the radar and uncontroversial for them.

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

You are lucky.

The only reason I was waned was because I pissed off the hardcore Death Eater corner of the fandom, which just happened to have ringleaders who were very bitchy BNFs.

Carrot was fed to the juicer. :D

[melwil.livejournal.com]

Moral of the story: don't piss off the hardcores

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

I reckon. They're a bunch of lunatics.

Maeglinyedi defriended me for my post on the Australian child pornography law. What incredible wank the HP fandom has. I didn't even say anything about my opinion on the subject, only that the laws on it have existed for ages, so why are people so surprised. XD

[melwil.livejournal.com]

It made me laugh, the people who were all 'delete my art immediately. I will be arrested!'

Maybe because I like to see chickens run around with their heads chopped off

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

Me too. After I got over the initial "...... :|" factor.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

No, it's been wanked. 249 comments and counting.

I've decided to go partially friendslocked -- I've never been under the illusion that anything I put online is completely private, but the mere existence of those screencaps weirds me out. If my posts are locked, then at least I have justification for being pissed off.

Non-controversial fandom posts will remain open, just to maintain my illusion of BNFiness. Although Mary Russell fandom, where I'm the most controversial player around, is looking better every day. I wrote Russ/Mahmoud yesterday.

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

On a different topic altogether... Shell has Spooks 3 downloaded. I'm not saying I will borrow them from her, I just want to know how much you're going to kill me if I do...?

[melwil.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhhhh

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

So... that's a lot, then?

It wouldn't be as fun without you to chat to afterwards, anyway. That's half the fun of new eps! *Fondly remembers 18 months ago when we last had new episodes...*

I emailed the ABC again yesterday.

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

lolz Australia sucks because it has wacky laws.

Isn't it still law that taverns and inns must have a bale of hay out the side and a trough of water for horses to use? Something along those lines.

[melwil.livejournal.com]

And women can only drink in pubs if they bring their own chains

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

... Their own chains? ... o_O

Then of course there's that brilliant one where you aren't allowed within 100 metres of a dead whale. But then we know why that one exists, so it isn't entirely retarded.

[melwil.livejournal.com]

*g* A joke.

In the 60's (I believe) women weren't allowed to drink at the bar in Queensland pubs. So a couple of women from the uni (one being Sigrid Thornton's mum) chained themselves to the bar of the Regatta and enjoyed their drinks.

Would you want to be within 100 mtrs of a dead whale? *g*

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

Oh! Well. That's rather interesting, historically.

I don't know, but do you at all remember the kerfuffle which caused the law? I think it was a dead humpback whale, that got caught in nets or some such and died in the sea because it couldn't be freed. And people were piling into boats to take pictures of the carcass and some were climbing on it and feeding bits of it to the swarms of sharks surrounding it.

[melwil.livejournal.com]

I remember that. With the whale and all.

Queensland's got some fascinating women's history, which unfortunately no one teaches. It's like the music scene in Brisbane during the 70's and 80's, brilliant but underground.

[monkey-chow.livejournal.com]

You know. That reminds me of those idiots who thought they'd remove a dead beached whale by shoving dynamite in it and blowing it to high hell.

I can't remember laughing so hard at all the little people on tv screaming and running from the rainfall of bloody, chunky whale carcass. :D

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

I was going to go to bed before 11pm tonight. Then someone on friendsfriends pointed me at the new Aimee Mann CD...

(Ever since I realised that she played both Buffy and tWW, I've been intrigued.)

Must. Turn. Off.

And I don't know how, but I'm sure this is all your fault somehow. *g* *hugs you*

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think it's an important day about remembering why war is a bad thing, and that we fight against that kind of massive death and distruction if we can. Some thing it's a day about quiet reflection. Some think it's a good excuse for a few beers. And some use it to justify the wars we fight today.

It's the same thing here (U.S.) on Memorial Day. Most people see it as a three-day weekend and think of it as an excuse to go on on the first beach trip of the year (it falls at the end of May). Some see it as a day spent in remembrance and honor of those who have served in the military. And some use it to glorify the military or grandstand about current military involvement and how wonderful we are. *eyeroll*

Fandom will always find something to kerfuffle about. That DOES seem to be a law, though unwritten. ;)