The price of freedomFollow

Freedom of Speech is something we prize but its something which has been curtailed in the last decade. I could ramble on about laws but this news has made me think.



I'll state this upfront, the BNP is an organisation I have no time for (Neo-**** and Xenophobic). I do beleive they have the right to free speech and should be allowed to campaign. Why you ask? Because we need such people to remind us of where we DO NOT wish to go ...

What has worried me here is that 30 people attacked a van just because of someones political beliefs (no matter how repugnant they may be). In doing so they have threatened free speech in my country. For as horrific as the BNPs political aims might be (and I pray they never gain any power in this country) they still have the right to express their aims and goals.
Now many people will be thinking "So? The BNP deserve it?" but if this is allowed, it could happen to any political party out campaigning and the end of free expression (if it is not already dead).

So I guess my point is. I do not understand people who would attack someone for expressing themselves, no matter how unpleasant the message.

Thoughts?

Riots/mobs are nothing new. I don't see them as a threat to free speech in general. People who allow themselves to become involved in violent protests have forsaken their right to free speech in favor of breaking the law, and should be duly punished for it.

People who allow themselves to become involved in violent protests have forsaken their right to free speech in favor of breaking the law, and should be duly punished for it.

Good to know. Did you have anything to add regarding any of the content posted on this thread?

People try to harm other people out of fear and hate?

FILM AT 11!

My point was that the group that attacked the BNP vehicle should be punished. They chose to give up their own free speech rights in favor of attacking the rights of others and in doing so, broke the law (or several). I agree that the BNP, however stupid they may be, have the right to express their views peacefully and verbally without fear of physical consequence. However, I do not think that any single mob incident such as this should be considered a threat to free speech in general. I do not believe, as Gwyn implied, that such incidents represent a general trend that might cause others to avoid speaking their minds out of fear of violence, thus effectively ending free speech in her country or my own.

Edited, Mar 14th 2009 1:44pm by BrownDuck

Bad wording on my part. They chose not to exercise said right in favor of less desirable (and illegal) methods of getting their point across.

Well that's not really curtailing free speech. It wasn't the government attacking them, it was a mob.


Really? You don't understand it?
You could say you don't condone it, but it's plainly easy to understand it.

Freedom of speech is important, but freedom from the consequences of what you say is utter *********

If you walk into a gay bar, you have the right to say "I hate ****". You should also expect to have your head kicked in, at the very least.

And tarv, if Leigh is in Wigan, Liverpool is in Widnes

It's true. If you wear a yankees hat in Boston at the wrong time (anytime) or the wrong place (drunk baseball fans), well, you better be prepared mother@#%^ers.

Edited, Mar 15th 2009 12:17pm by Annabella

You do not wear orange in my town during the Georgia/Florida game. Everyone is already cranky because they're here and not at the world's biggest outdoor cocktail party where they want to be, and seeing you wearing FL colors is waving a red flag in front of an already angry bull.

Details aside, It's grim up North.

Estate? Mall?

Spotted **** **** toad in a hole what now?

Nexa