Those who call themselves “Christians” or “Moral,” might see this as a “victory” over “evil.” But for them, as well as all who applaud this travesty of freedom I will quote Benjamin Franklin, who said:

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

It appears the people of Australia are still prisoners, exiled as were their forefathers and permitted only the “freedoms” their masters deem fit. It will be interesting to see if they accept this Orwellian destiny or rise up and demand the freedoms so many of them have given their blood to defend around the world.

As for Second Life (SL) and its “danger” as a source of adult content; SL is no more or less dangerous than the rest of the Internet. Those who wish to can find virtually anything they want on the Internet, good, bad or indifferent.

It should be up to adults and parents, not a “Nanny State,” to take the steps necessary to limit exposure to content they deem inappropriate for themselves or their children. This can be done at the individual PC or user level.

By banning access to Second Life, the Australian government will not only be cutting off access to “adult” content, but also art, music, education and collaboration opportunities that have the potential to enlighten, inspire and improve the lives of its citizens, young and old alike. If the government of Australia succeeds in censoring SL from their citizens, those of us who work, learn and yes “play” in Second Life will miss the tremendous spirit and contributions our Australian brothers and sisters make to SL everyday.

I close with a quote from another of our (American) Founding Fathers, that I hope will be taken to heart by all those who love freedom in Australia and around the world:

“”The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson