Free speech is it dead and buried?

[six45ive]

And her reading of this

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/azhar-ahmed-army-mums-fury-1370219#comments

 

brought this response

 

"This is absolutely SICK!!!! I will NEVER go to the UK because I will never step foot in a country that does not protect FREE SPEECH!!!

 

I have the right to say things that are "grossly offensive" and yes, my country has to tolerate it!

 

Free speech does NOT come with a "responsibility" not to offend people!"

[discodown]

Americans are on shaky ground to say the least when it comes to civil rights or free speech. Theirs are being eroded month on month.

 

At least they are if you're black, hispanic, gay, poor, southern, been raped, pregnant or female. I wouldn't look across the pond for a barometer of how to live free or die

[mikem8634]

This pretty much seems to be how the UK legal framework handles freedom of expression

 

 

Article 10 of European Convention on Human Rights is a qualified right and as such the right to freedom of expression may be limited. Article 10 provides that the exercise of this freedom “since it carries with it duties and responsibilities” may be limited as long as the limitation:

is prescribed by law;

is necessary and proportionate; and

pursues a legitimate aim, namely:

o the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety;

o the prevention of disorder or crime;

o the protection of health or morals;

o the protection of the reputation or rights of others;

o preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence; or

o maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.

 

Sections 4A and 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 (POA) make it an offence for a person to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, another person harassment, alarm or distress.

 

Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to send a message by means of a public electronic communications network which is grossly offensive, or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.

 

In 2006 the Racial and Religious Hatred Act amended the POA to make it an offence punishable by up to seven years imprisonment, to use threatening words or behaviour intended to stir up religious hatred.

 

In 2008 the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act amended the POA to add an offence of using threatening words or behaviour intended to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

 

The Terrorism Act 2006 criminalises ‘encouragement of terrorism’ which includes making statements that glorify terrorist acts, punishable by up to seven years imprisonment.

[tinfoilhat]

And her reading of this

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/azhar-ahmed-army-mums-fury-1370219#comments

 

brought this response

 

"This is absolutely SICK!!!! I will NEVER go to the UK because I will never step foot in a country that does not protect FREE SPEECH!!!

 

I have the right to say things that are "grossly offensive" and yes, my country has to tolerate it!

 

Free speech does NOT come with a "responsibility" not to offend people!"

 

I think Abu hamzas 3 mates may well disagree with that statement. They said something horrible here but hosted on an American server and now face serious time !!!!

[six45ive]

Like some of us over here in the UK the Americans are always mindful of the erosion of free speech. They see hate speech and anti blasphemy/religion/racism laws trying to be implemented throughout the western world and they, quite rightly, don't want to go down the road to becoming a totalitarian state.

Here's what another of my US Fb friends has to say about this.

 

"One...more...time: Inoffensive speech doesn't require protection. The speech that needs protection is the speech that people want to silence. That means it's the sort of speech that ****** someone off--either a few very powerful people or a whole lot of less powerful people. But it's offending someone--and that's why it needs protection. Opinions can be ignored. You don't have to care about them. You don't have to respond to them. You can really just let people have them, express them, and not give a ****, if you like. Get over it."

 

Spot on as far as I'm concerned.

[six45ive]

A little bit of good news on the freedom of speech front.

 

http://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/news/wests-free-speech-stand-bars-blasphemy-ban-oic-182341074.html?orig_host_hdr=news.yahoo.com&.intl=US&.lang=en-US

[alchresearch]

I agree. I interpret the story as the sheep has three bags of wool to give away.

[Doris Night]

In what way does the song imply that black is bad?

 

I was referring to what the parent reported her child had been told at school..

 

The natural progression of the way these things go now is that the parent will be called a liar...Then when this fails the child will be accused of misunderstanding why the song has been altered....When this fails it will be a rogue teacher who had an agenda....When this fails the line will be, "it should be changed anyway, its racist"...lol

[dafodil]

Can we drop the ba ba blooming black sheep rubbish its a daft nursery rime that not one person I know has any problems with. If it offends any one then it serves them right.

[dosxuk]

Can we drop the ba ba blooming black sheep rubbish its a daft nursery rime that not one person I know has any problems with. If it offends any one then it serves them right.

 

Well if someone could come up with some actual examples of how the PC brigade have stopped free speech maybe it would be forgotten?