← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Leveller
Thread ID: 3566 | Posts: 4 | Started: 2002-11-17
2002-11-17 14:23 | User Profile
Fascism exists in Scotland - dissident gaoled
[url=http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/2002_nov/news_nov08.htm]http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/2002_nov/news_nov08.htm[/url]
For the majority of people in Britain today the news that the State deliberately jails people who express disapproval or even question the motives of Government policy will come as a total shock.
A BNP supporter campaigning in Glasgow last year was arrested and charged with distributing material likely to incite racial hatred. At Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday 14th November Mr. Wilson received a sentence of 4 months imprisonment. This appalling sentence follows a strongly worded warning from Sheriff (judge) Ms. Linda Ruxton(47) that the sentence was a "deterrent to others".
It seems that a leaflet that merely pointed out that some of the perpetrators of racial attacks in the mill towns of Northern England were young militant Muslims and which questioned the Government's immigration policy was too much for the powers that be. Any voice of dissent against the multi-racial experiment will not be tolerated by the Government.
In a healthy society all issues should be open to debate in a mature and rational way. When a Government clamps down on those that suggest aspects of Government policy should be challenged it becomes a dangerous Government and the label of "fascist" is not too strong a term to describe this stiffling of dissent.
The BNP is slowly gaining support in Scotland following the success of the party elsewhere in the British Isles. This politically biased sentence goes some way to deter patriots in Scotland from discussing the multi-cultural issue and goes hand in hand with the Scottish Executive's active campaign to tell Scots that they are racist and that "One Scotland, Many Cultures" is the way forward for the nation.
Daily Telegraph London 16 4 02
Difficult truths
letters to the editor
SIR- It isn't often that I am shocked when reading British newspapers online, but the story about the jailing of a BNP man in Scotland for four months for distributing leaflets accusing Muslim immigrants of militancy and attacks against whites deeply disturbed me (report, Nov. 15). I understand that the BNP is an extremist group, and that local Muslims were no doubt deeply offended by his activities. But to have the state declare certain expressions of opinion as "hate speech" strikes at the heart of what civil liberties mean.
Living in a free society is not easy. There will be times when distasteful people will speak, and times when we are either deeply hurt or deeply angered by the speech of others. However, the best defence against such speech is the clear light of day, engaged debate and the equal use of free speech by those who oppose such messages. To level the full weight of the state at such speech can only have the doubly unfortunate effect of speedily emboldening such speakers to believe themselves "dissidents" while chilling others who may wish to express deeply held, if unpopular, views. We have a right to be free men and women in our two countries; any attempt to impose a "right never, ever, to be offended" is incompatible with liberty.
It is hard not to draw the conclusion that this man is being singled out by a political establishment that will pick and choose what constitutes "hate speech". I don't think it will cause too much controversy if I speculate that it is highly unlikely that the same state authorities will be rounding up any Muslim "death to the Jews" types in equal measure.
It is easy, too easy, to enact such laws when obvious lunatics and extremists are the target, but the cost far outweighs any possible benefit. It is only a matter of time before those in power slowly expand the list of "forbidden" topics to include the outer edges of necessary debate.
As I write this, I am looking at a copy of the Constitution of the United States hanging on my wall. The First Amendment has never looked So good. Kevin Vaillancourt Portland, Oregon
2002-11-18 20:31 | User Profile
Amazing.
Leveller, where are the British Lefties on this sort of thing? Leading the charge?
2002-11-18 21:02 | User Profile
Just as interesting (and appalling) that the one sure way to get a dissenting letter printed, is to adopt the position that opponents of Third World immigration are actually fighting anti-Semitism and thus deserve to be heard.
2002-12-02 04:15 | User Profile
Originally posted by Texas Dissident@Nov 18 2002, 20:31 Amazing. Leveller, where are the British Lefties on this sort of thing? Leading the charge?
Tex, There's no serious opposition to events like the above from any quarter. Just the deafening sound of silence.
Originally posted by il ragno@Nov 18 2002, 21:02 Just as interesting (and apalling) that the one sure way to get a dissenting letter printed, is to adopt the position that opponents of Third World immigration are actually fighting anti-Semitism and thus deserve to be heard.
Il Ragno, Yes, par for the course. If he'd said 'muslims attacking whites aren't subject to the same laws', he might be, you know, a hater.