Ban graphic posters

FINE Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton’s call for minimum standards for referendum and election posters is certainly timely, given the offence caused by the graphic imagery displayed during the recent referendum.

Ms Naughton believes that new measures should be considered by the Dáil Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government for controlling the graphic content of public campaigns.

Given how age-appropriate standards apply to material that children are exposed to in the classroom, the cinema or on the television, it seems not unreasonable that this principle also apply to what they witness on the streets.

Pro-life campaigners, like animal rights activists, frequently argue that in order to communicate the full barbarity of the practice they want to see outlawed, it is necessary to use gruesome imagery.

But children should not be subjected to violent or blood-drenched images or language as they don’t have the faculties to deal with graphic images and themes.

A ban on graphic electioneering material will not restrict the public’s right to protest, which is a cornerstone of our democracy.

Insisting that campaigners adopt a responsible tone in their posters will not detract from the power of protest. It will simply ensure they get their message across without causing terror or upset to anyone.