Sedition Acts and the artist

Once again I am back banging my old drum. Today or tomorrow new legislation comes into effect barring from sale and presumably from library shelves any material which "advocates a terrorist act." Wonderful, I hear you cry, all these tracts from radical Islamic clergy inviting young people kill themselves as suicide bombers will become illegal, sorry unlawful. However, it does not seem to define what a terrorist act is. This is censorship pure and simple and while I personally find any hate material be it from the pen of Islamic clergy, white supremacists, anti semitics or whoever, abhorrent, these people have a right to hold these opinions however misguided and in my opinion have the right to publish. What is a terrorist act? It's easy at the top end, flying planes into the trade towers was a terrorist act. Is setting off roadside bombs in Iraq an act of terrorism or an act of war. Does the person at whom the act is aimed define the act as terrorism or war meaning if you blow up American or Australian soldiers with a roadside bomb its war but if you blow up Iraqi civilians its terrorism. Have we ever resolved whether or not the ANC were fearless freedom fighters or terrorists? Does it simply become an act of terrorism if we disagree with the politics of the bomber? I am opposed in principal to any censorship even if (one might almost say especially if) I disagree with the material being censored. The next step will make material criticising the application of this sort of legislation illegal. What does this have to do with me as a theatre practitioner I hear you cry? A lot. Theatre and now TV has always been a hotbed of satire and has helped keep the politicians honest. We have already seen actions brought against artists and comedians using various types of legislation and this will continue. This is the firat step in a series of moves that could reintroduce the old licensing acts that meant that all new plays and shows had to be approved by a Government department. That law was only repealed in 1968 and I bet the pollies would love to see it reintroduced. Fight for freedom of speech don't let it be eroded. "He who is prepared to give up a basic liberty in return for a little safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin