Guardiola fined £20,000 for wearing yellow ribbon (p140)

[YaYa's Left Peg]

Free speech is being able to say what you want, when you want, with almost impunity. That doesn’t exist in Britain. Now, voting and allowing “political discussion” is generally accepted, but real freedom of speech is something else. That no longer exists in PC Britain. Sorry.

So what is it that you want to say but don’t feel you can?

 

[ChicagoBlue]

What is it you think we're not allowed to say exactly?

An example of the current zealotry as it relates to sensitive words...

From the The Spectator,
What happened when I was charged with a hate crime

The man had no evidence to support his claim. On my side, I had several witnesses who had heard nothing of the sort, plus CCTV footage that showed our altercation had been no more than an insignificant skirmish. Still, the police investigated my case with ardour. The investigating officers’ florid report to the CPS made it sound as if I’d beaten the hell out of the guy. It was nonsense. Nevertheless, charges were duly pressed.

During the long and stressful wait for my trial, it became clear to me that it wasn’t the non-assault they were interested in. It was the homophobic aspect that had mysteriously emerged 24 hours after the incident.

For the record, my accuser’s sexuality had never entered my mind and, it transpired, he wasn’t gay. But these allegations provided the British Transport Police with a potential opportunity to notch up an all-important statistic pointing to how wonderfully tough they are on hate crime. Zero tolerance. Every perceived slight is registered as a crime — even in cases such as mine where the evidence is based only on the accuser’s own account.

The court case itself, which happened last month, was a bizarre affair. The CCTV footage proved that I would have had no reason to interrupt my accuser’s call because he didn’t make one. Three gay friends took the day off work to assure the magistrates that I was not a homophobe. But the CPS’s prosecuting lawyer insisted that I was a hate criminal. The magistrates, in their wisdom, disagreed and concluded that I had acted in self-defence ‘with restraint’. My elation was tempered by the £15,000 I’d been forced to spend on hiring a legal team. I will be very lucky if I manage to reclaim a fraction of that sum.

I hope that what happened to me is rare. But somehow I doubt it. The director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders — who runs the CPS — has announced that new documents will soon be released to explain to a grateful public the definition of hate crime and to encourage everyone to go straight to the police.

Explaining why she wants to see more hate-crime offenders charged, Ms Saunders said: ‘We would like to see it higher because I do think that these cases are not reported enough.’ How can she know that? Is more than a thousand reports a week really too few? How many would suit her? Two thousand? Ten thousand? A million?

I cannot speak scientifically, but from my own experience I felt that I was in the grip of a kind of madness. Now that the pool of 1970s celebrities to arrest for historic sex crimes is running dry, the police and the CPS seem to have climbed aboard a new bandwagon.

The laws and guidance for prosecutors against homophobia, trans-phobia, racism and religious and disability prejudice are well-intentioned. But unless enforced with fairness and a sense of justice they represent a growing menace. Nottinghamshire Police have announced their intention to turn wolf-whistling into a misogynistic hate crime. Isn’t that just a tad over the top? Don’t coppers have better things to do?

For one year and eight months I had a ringside seat at the edge of insanity. A pathetic, tiny scuffle that I did not start escalated into a drawn-out legal battle. Hate crime. Be careful, it could happen to you.

Kevin O’Sullivan was formerly television critic of the Sunday Mirror. He now runs the YouTheCritic website at TVKev.co.uk.
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Now, I almost expect some people to ask, “Do you approve of hate crimes and hate language?” and the answer would be that approval and acceptance are different things, especially if one wants to have freedom of speech. Britain appears to be on a slippery slope, where every disaffected splinter group within society identifies as a victim and laws seem to be expanding too quickly and in a direction that all people who aspire to maintain their freedoms should be concerned about.

As a British citizen who lives in the States, but who visits regularly, I am constantly reminded that Britain already is a vastly different country than I once knew. I’m not saying it is all for the worse, either, but I’m mindful of personal freedoms and liberties being curtailed by government.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

So what is it that you want to say but don’t feel you can?

I’m not saying I want to say anything I can’t say, but there are things that might be said, however ugly they might be, that should not be a crime in a country where freedom of speech is considered to be allowed.

Who decides what is racist? Obscene? Homophobic? Sexist? As those definitions expand, freedoms are being given away.

 

[YaYa's Left Peg]

I’m not saying I want to say anything I can’t say, but there are things that might be said, however ugly they might be, that should not be a crime in a country where freedom of speech is considered to be allowed.

Who decides what is racist? Obscene? Homophobic? Sexist? As those definitions expand, freedoms are being given away.

Well say it and then act accordingly to the reaction. Or would that be giving too much away?

 

[urban genie]

I could take you more seriously if you could spell Magna Carta and understood what that the Bill of Rights was. Not everything is about the Second Amendment...unless you only read the news headlines.

Whatever mate, really not arsed about my spelling or your constitution . If you really believe america is a more free country compared to us British then fair enough, because I don't and I really.don't care if you disagree.

I have that freedom to do that and an hangover. so cheerio I'm going back to bed

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I have a very simple solution: Wear a yellow scarf, and wear it folded over, just like the yellow ribbon. A scarf worn around the neck, crossed in front, and tucked in each coat pocket is a massive “fuck you” yellow ribbon signal, but what can the FA do? Tell him he can’t wear a yellow scarf? You can wear a yellow scarf, but you can’t wear it crossed and tucked?

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Well say it and then act accordingly to the reaction. Or would that be giving too much away?

I have no idea what you are getting at?

I’m saying Britons don’t have freedom of speech, you appear to think they do, then tell me to say something that might be offensive to prove my point??? That does not appear to bolster your argument, but appears to bolster mine...by trying to get me to “incriminate” myself.

First they came for one word, but I didn’t speak out because I don’t say that word.....

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I’m not saying I want to say anything I can’t say, but there are things that might be said, however ugly they might be, that should not be a crime in a country where freedom of speech is considered to be allowed.

Who decides what is racist? Obscene? Homophobic? Sexist? As those definitions expand, freedoms are being given away.

So do you think that it should be OK to insult black people, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and disabled people without fear of consequences?

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Whatever mate, really not arsed about my spelling or your constitution . If you really believe america is a more free country compared to us British then fair enough, because I don't and I really.don't care if you disagree.

I have that freedom to do that and an hangover. so cheerio I'm going back to bed

Thank you for proving my point. I trust you enjoyed getting the hangover...and for good reason!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

So do you think that it should be OK to insult black people, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and disabled people without fear of consequences?

That is not the issue, nor are my personal feelings on the matter relevant, even though you desire to personalize this.

The issue is whether Britons have freedom of speech. I say they are having the notion of such freedoms eroded. The words are not important, it is a concept. Do you have the freedom to say an insult to anyone without fear of governmental consequences? Clearly not. QED.

Thank you.