Freedoms, rights, and television shows with naughty words in the title:

Like (I suspect) many Christians, I was annoyed and a bit disgusted when Channel 7 started showing commercials for an upcoming program, Good Christian B*tches. There's not much that isn't offensive about that title or the concept behind the show. However, when I received an email invitation to sign a petition for the program's removal, I declined. My Dad put it most succinctly: "No one has to watch the program. If they find it offensive, they should turn the TV off."

He's right on a number of levels. First, the goal of television networks is not to keep religious groups happy; it is to establish a wide viewership and make money. It shouldn't surprise any of us when networks promote programs they believe will be sensational, juicy, or offensive. What's more, creating hype around a show (whether it's negative or positive) seems only to generate more interest in the program. Think what the disappearance of Charlie Sheen did for the (utterly stupid and degrading) sitcom Two and a Half Men. People who had never watched the show in the past tuned in to see what kind of a job Ashton Kutcher did of replacing the ticking time bomb that is Charlie Sheen.

Secondly, freedom of choice and freedom of speech are key elements of any democratic society. This freedom translates into the freedom to create programs that some may find offensive, as well as the freedom to show these programs. However, it also gives us the freedom not to watch them.

It is when that choice is removed that we should take offense.

Consider the current debates surrounding hot-button topics like abortion and gay marriage. While we may all possess freedom to argue for or fight against constitutional changes, as Christians we should probably stop being shocked when a secular government makes non-Christian choices. The focus of our government at the moment is on individual rights -- like the right of a woman to determine whether she will keep her unborn child or the right of a homosexual couple to marry and receive the same support as a heterosexual couple.

Both of these concepts are areas which Christians have typically taken a stand against, appealing to the government on grounds entrenched firmly in Christian doctrine and ethics. If the government does not subscribe to a similar set of doctrine and ethics, these will likely be pleas falling on deaf ears. However, here is my beef: if the government is going to promote freedom of choice and the rights of individuals, how can they fight for the rights of some groups and inhibit the rights of others? I'm referring in particular to the new move to remove family benefits from parents who have not immunised their kids. Regardless of how you feel about the pros and cons of immunisation, this is a serious blow to the rights and freedoms espoused by democracy. While not outwardly depriving parents of their right to choose immunisation or no, it is, nevertheless, a form of bullying. You may choose option A or B, the government is saying, but if you choose B, we are going to make life more difficult for you.

This is not only undemocractic, but it is illogical. A democratic government cannot fight for the rights of some without upholding the rights of all. Where's the consistency?

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Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- HAVE YOU CUT YOUR HAIR?? Do not leave me hanging on this!

Samantha R -- welcome back to the world! ;) We've missed you!

Cara -- it was fun, not at all serious. I recommend you check out PluggedIn.Com for any potential problems with the movie; they're always my go-to for appropriateness :). Do let's meet halfway in Italy! I really haven't travelled much (I'm certain New Zealand scarcely counts as "outside Australia").

Lauren -- rasesco!! Sounds like reggae music crossed with baroque; that's my interpretation of what rasesco might mean :).

Katie -- the internet is definitely the place to meet excellent friends :).

Bek Axe -- you would have loved tattooed Twilight guy, I'm sure.

Oh, facebook.

Two months ago I decided to switch off facebook. In all honesty, I thought it'd been longer than that. It feels longer. But it's been an interesting experiment, and one I've really enjoyed. I haven't noticed productivity levels increase in incredible proportions. I haven't evolved into an internet hippie (tumblr, twitter, blogging, livejournal... it's all still there). But I do feel simultaneously more connected and less connected to my friends.

If that confuses you, don't worry. I'm confused, too.

What I'm possibly learning from all this is that being away from facebook cuts me out of the little everyday odds and ends of my friends' lives. I miss lurking my friends' pictures. I miss knowing who is dating who (whom?). I miss getting invitations to events like barbecues and parties and church things and whatnot (because everybody is totally on facebook right and so why would we email or text or GASP send a paper invitation?). I miss watching hilarious comment conversations swing back and forth. Basically, I miss eavesdropping on my friends' lives.

On the other hand, even though I've been pathetic at emailing (and visiting and calling and letter-writing and texting), what little communication there is has been of a higher quality. It's like my friend-scope has narrowed. I see less, but I get to see it in more detail. I know who my closest friends are because they're the ones I contact outside of facebook. And to tell you the truth, I'm realising I don't need four hundred friends. My immediate and extended family, my little handful of best girlfriends, my buddies, and my long-distance friends whom I treasure: these are enough-and-more for me.

It doesn't mean I don't sometimes wish I was back on facebook. It's fun being in the loop! And I will probably be back looping it up again someday. But not just yet. Last week I felt my resolve slipping. I'd made contact with some friends from uni and they suggested keeping in touch via facebook. I took a great photography class and the instructor said there was a closed facebook group only open to workshop participants. I got scared that people would forget I exist if I'm not right up in their face(book)s. But then my friend Carla posted this and it reminded me all over again why sometimes it's good to do without, even if only for a season.

The end (for now).

Oh, and I didn't have any pictures of facebook laying around my computer, so I took this. That's my face, with a book. Har har you see what I did there? I'm obviously so funny.

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Conversations:

Un -- I've had a hard enough time keeping up with my own socialness! I think I did so much last week, though, that this week is going to be very quiet by comparison.

Lauren -- hahaha! You little lurker. I promise there will be more pictures soon.

Deactivation station:

Oh, facebook.

You inspire such love and loathing in me. One minute I can't bear the sight of you, and the next I'm logging on so I can be sure not to miss some important tidbit of information. What is this mighty weapon of influence you wield over me?

I've deactivated you once or twice before, always temporarily, mainly because I needed to get on top of my emails or curb minor distractions from my life for a season. I've always come back to you. But lately the dissatisfaction just can't be assuaged. You annoy me, facebook, and I think it's time for a separation.

Facebook, it's not you, it's me. Okay, it's partly you -- especially lately, with your weird new layout and cluttered way of showing me information. We're supposed to talk to each other before we have makeovers. I don't like what you've become.

But yes it's me, too.

It takes two to tango, and though I could blame you for making me crave information, for making me desperate not to miss out on things, I'm really the one at fault. It's my problem if I have to know what's going on in the lives of acquaintances I haven't spoken to since primary school. It's my problem if the green-eyed monster emerges when I see that friends whom I've been trying unsuccessfully to pin down for a coffee date have caught up with other friends three times in the past fortnight. It's my problem if I share things and judge their coolness or intelligence based on whether others 'like' them. It's my problem if I'm scared that I'm going to miss out on something.

So I'm calling for a time-out, facebook. I understand I'll be out of the loop. I understand I won't get invited to things. I understand people won't notice I'm gone because -- well, that's your nature. It's what we see in you that keeps us interested, facebook, not what we don't see.

But that's okay. I'll handle it. And -- for now, at least -- I'm going to kick it old-school, you know, emails, texts, all that jazz.

Facebook, we're kind of over (even if only temporarily). Don't call me.

Oh, and here: have a butterfly. He was hanging out with me today.

Sincerely,
Danielle

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Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- Whoa! Your weekend sounds insanely busy! Four emergencies? Yikes! I'm glad you came out the other end unscathed. The DW episode was The God Complex; I might watch the last ten minutes on iView so I can at least see how it ended! (I liked the dollhouse episode even though it was kinda creepy for a while there, too).

Carla -- haha, good spotting, eagle eyes! That's my favourite box design from there, too :).

Ruth -- please please steal this idea! I'd love it if you did. And I stole it from somewhere myself, though of course I can't remember where. Imma email you back! I'm sorry your kidlets had sniffles :(.