Quote - Well, at the risk of setting off a firestorm, I'd say that artists need to be held responsible for what they create.

Hmm. Maybe. But held responsible for exactly what and exactly by whom?

It's been said Hitler's Nazis used Nietzsche as a springboard for some of their ideas ...

Certain killers, etc., have said they got the ideas for their crimes from some movie or novel.

Is an artist responsible for how his or her art is interpreted, or for what it inspires in dark hearts? Is a philosopher? A writer?

I guess I just think child abuse is child abuse, not cartoon abuse. When you talk about snuff films and pointless exercises in animal cruelty, you are talking about behavior that victimizes an actual living person or creature.

On the other hand, when you're talking about stupid cartoons ...

How about let's hear from the victims then? Okay, all you goofy cartoons out there, let's hear from you about how this sort of thing traumatizes you.

Well, whatever. I guess that last comment's a bit condescending, and I don't exactly mean to be. It is a difficult issue, and smart, well-meaning people can disagree. But I guess I just don't understand how toons have anything to do with anything. If toons are capable of causing bad behavior, why are we not all going around and hitting each other on the head with giant anvils all the time? Or walking off cliffs?

And even if someone can prove that toons are causing bad behavior in some tiny subset of idiots, does that mean everyone else should be banned from viewing them? What if it's also proven to be true of novels, movies, songs, short stories, poetry, philosophy, religious texts, etc., etc. ?

Hmm. Maybe we'd just better be on the safe side and eliminate everything, including all but the most superficial of thoughts, which seems to be the way our society is headed in any case.