Comedian charged: Not funny

Coming in late... To start with- I quite enjoy the Chaser- and would not place it in the same sentence as the wedgie, or whatever it is... Closest thing to my childhood fave the Late Show that I've seen in a while. That said, it is very inconsistent- some of it really ordinary, but some stuff- like celebrity spruiker and the 'what has current affairs taught us?' segments are actually quite intelligent, thought-provoking and satirical. So I have to put myself in the fan category, but I don't put myself out to make sure I catch it each week. I think the irony of the police arresting and charging someone with offensive conduct for poking fun at the violence/stupidity of a section of dogs fans is hilarious/worrying. Luckily for Chas he wasn't having a go at our pollies, otherwise he might be charged with sedition... Now, onto lawyers. Like cops, pollies and many others- there is an awful lot of stereotyping involved in discussions. For every great copper, there is a power-hungry d''k (I have met many of them), for every lawyer doing great work for an aboriginal community, there is a rich bastard knowingly manipulating law to get crims out of trouble, for every politician trying to do what they think is right, there are dozens riding the gravy train. I think it is very important that us artists (particularly the writers on this website) do not allow ourselves to be locked into this stereotyping. Mr Edwards makes very salient points about our legal system (and our relationship to the media regarding the law) that are worth considering. It is set up by a certain section of the community- it protects that section of the community. Lawyers are honour-bound by their very profession to do whatever is legally possible to get their client off. So only the law itself is to blame in the end. How do we change laws? Get involved. Whether it be signing petitions, or running for office, anyone unwilling to be involved in the legal and political process of this country is subjecting themselves to whatever comes their way. Where to start? Somewhere, just pick something... and yes- Australia voted for a manipulator (who has been caught out lying more than a few times, and shows incredibly little morality or humanity) with an increased majority in the last election- so we, the supposed creative intelligents, have a moral responsibility to be out there and be heard. Otherwise, we are worse than those using the system for their own gain. and Craig- kudos to you for your legal work. It's not until you get out there and see the reality of what many people out there are dealing with that you can truly comprehend the sheer inequality of this supposedly civilised and advanced democracy. My wife works in native title. I always thought I was open-minded and well educated about indigenous Australia. Discovering just how racist and ignorant I actually was/am was/is not much fun. Nev signing off It's the simple things stupid...