I have just been listening to talk-back radio, and hearing an 85 year old man expressing the opinion, that compared to naked violence, watching the expression of love was a far better thing, and that he had been married 47 years. He expressed it well and was courtly and subtle. Naked violence. Well said. And it reminded me that I wanted to comment on San Andreas. I’m not altogether happy with my boys playing Grand Theft Auto, and the theme of violence in video games and its effect rears often. Nevertheless we will not be buying San Andreas Grand Theft Auto after the rumours of embedded virtual sex. Phew! But the comment I had to make was about the reaction to this discovery. We can allow the game to cross counters all over the world with no comment whatsoever about the graphic, horrendous violence, and yet the moment sex is mentioned, we throw up our hands in horror. What an interesting differentiation. And it was articulated even better in an article in the New York times.

explicitly sociopathic – not to say psychopathic – criminality.. ah that’s how to write!

And then there’s the memory of growing up on the farm and accompanying my father everywhere – through deaths, branding, killing, and butchering, but never, no never, to a difficult birth. Are we frightened of our sexual urges? Have we been taught to control our violent impulses, but not the other …. ?