If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Where freedom of expression should end
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
Here, for instance
Frankly, if you are burying your dead soldier or gay son and suddenly some cunts turn up at the funeral with placards reading "Thank God for 9/11/Iraq war"/ "God hates faggots", I think that far from them having a 'right' to express such things it should be your right to kick them repeatedly in the face until it is a bloody mess, and then have them jailed on charges of general cuntiness.
But that's just undemocratic me...
Frankly, if you are burying your dead soldier or gay son and suddenly some cunts turn up at the funeral with placards reading "Thank God for 9/11/Iraq war"/ "God hates faggots", I think that far from them having a 'right' to express such things it should be your right to kick them repeatedly in the face until it is a bloody mess, and then have them jailed on charges of general cuntiness.
But that's just undemocratic me...
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
0
Comments
but not freedom from the consequences it may cause
That is the difference between being offensive and being abusive and threatening.
Saying that God hates fags is offensive, but not directly abusive. Doing it at a gay man's funeral is directly abusive. It's a very easy distinction to make, really.
I'm sorry, to show up at a funeral with that kind of sick shit is simply beyond 'freedom'. It shouldn't be allowed. And the perpetrators should be punished by law- or at least, the family of the deceased should be allowed to kick seven shades of shit out of the knuckle draggers without fear of being prosecuted for it.
Violence is another matter.
YOu're completely and totally missing the point.
If the bloke had gone into St Winifred's wearing that T-shirt then it would be abusive. Simply wearing it in the street is offensive, and that is not enough to impose a serious criminal sanction on somebody.
I'll put it this way: me wearing a T-shirt saying Blair is a cunt is not abusive, it is offensive. But if I went to his kid's funeral wearing it it would be abusive, and I would- rightly- be punished for it.
If something is directly targeted at a person, and that person is there, then it is abusive, threatening, and morally wrong. Calling a dead person a cunt does not qualify as that, but you could make an argument for it if you did it at his fan club's HQ.
I've always loved how these people are usually violent towards Gays, but gays are not violent in return.
Shows one lot is a far better member of society than the other, no?
There is something particularly repugnant about a bunch of fundmentalist bigoted cunts going to a funeral of a gay person with such disgusting placards.
I don't know if that would ever happen here... I can only hope that if it did the perpetrators would be immediately arrested for breach of the peace- or any other charge for that matter.
I agree with you actually, holding this kind of placard there was totally wrong. But I don't think that's the reason it was wrong, it just doesn't feel right to me.
theres a difference between telling someone what you think of someone or leaving a passive message, but going to someones funeral to say 'shame on you' isn't that
eta i must add though i dont think they should be prosecuted, they deserve a good 'fuck off' and tradional middle 2 fingers up
a·bu·sive (ə-byū'sĭv, -zĭv)
adj.
1.Characterized by improper or wrongful use: abusive utilization of public funds.
2.Using or containing insulting or coarse language: finally reprimanded the abusive colleague.
3.Causing physical injury to another: abusive punishment.
4.Relating to or practicing sexual abuse.
Fuck George Bush.
It appears i'm being abusive.
I wasn't trying to imply what constitutes an act that needs repremanding. I don't think anyone has managed to tie that down in this thread yet. I was trying to point out that the offensive / abusive stance doesn't really hold water as it appears it's not as clear cut as that.
they have the right to flash those signs round if they want, but they ought to have the dignity to not disrespect a dead soldier.
can you imagine the outcry from the media if it were a bunch of anti-war protesters?
I agree, that is completely uncalled for!! can you imagine! i would go completely insane if that happened to me! like if it was my brother or something!!
what if your point of view is hatefull? I mean is it right to censor racists?
It would be more acceptable for these people to hold banners along the lines of "God hates gay sex" since this is an opinion about a particular action and the people that partake in it (the same as "God hates sex outside marriage"). But they are essentially discriminating against a group of people because they are gay, rather than because they believe a certain thing, or act in a certain way.
This is why protesting against a certain set of religious beliefs is more acceptable. Of course, you can get to a situation where the religious beliefs no longer have anything to do with, and you've got to ask yourself where religion ends and race begins. A lot of people seem to be a member of a religion, without necessarily agreeing with all of the views that they are supposed to. It seems to be more of a culture than a belief system.
Of course homophobia is still a bit of a grey area, because even though there is now a lot of evidence to suggest that being gay is genetic to some extent, it is not yet conclusive, and some people still see it as a lifestyle choice and therefore, a worthy target.
So whilst I'll accept the possibility of a genetic element in homosexuality, I can't accept your assertion of there being "a lot of evidence" to show it.
I'm not of the view that there should be no limits to freedom of expression - there does need to be a line drawn somewhere, but it seems to me that those placards were being...provocative for the sake of being provocative, and therefore getting the reaction they obviously wanted in the first place.