Be careful what you post in the Backroom

[Rhyfelwyr]

Because the government might just come and hunt you down. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13175213)

Things with the Old Firm (Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic) have got a bit out of hand of late. At first it was violence on and off the pitch. And on one occassion, Lennon got into an altercation with some Rangers fans in dodgy organisations and since then there has been a spree of bombing attempts (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13160242).

Those targeted have mainly been Celtic manager Neil Lennon, a Northern Irish Catholic and thus hate figure that has already been driven from the NI national team after getting death threats. Alongside Celtic's main lawyer, a Labour MP that dared to wear a Celtic top in Parliament, and Scotland's main Catholic figure the Cardinal Keith O'Brien, he's been delivered nail bombs and placed under 24-hour protection.

While it is obviously only a handful of lunatics doing this, they've been supported by a massive hate campaign on the net, with pictures showing Lennon riddled with bullets etc. And there's been a bit of an escalation elsewhere, just up the road from me someone tried to burn down a Catholic church a few days ago. And now there's the big Old Firm Easter derby coming up (which I will miss due to work, bah!).

Well, the point I had to make is... is it right to arrest these people for what they post on the net?

I say nay, and I go by the slippery slope argument. They can say bla bla all this hate has no place in modern society, but you can use that to justify censoring anything that isn't 100% feelgood leftism.

And make no mistake as to who is behind this. Leftists and centre-right, the usual suspects.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Footy attracts loons and terrorists and sectarian simpletons. The world doesn't need them.

Part of me feels like writing a long essay about their rights. Part of me just wishes to wave them goodbye and good riddance. ~:wave:

[ICantSpellDawg]

Scum police. This is what happens when you knick a written constitution that specifically mentions freedom of speech. Write it down, because you will find that people actually do want to take it from you, and will work relentlessly to rid the world of opinions that they don't like.

[Fragony]

Picture with someone riddled with bullets isn't free speech, hatecampaigning is assassination by proxy, see Fortuyn. I would be deeply disturbed if I was on the net like that

[Skullheadhq]

see Fortuyn.
Thanks to him Dutch politics is on kindergarten level.

[Husar]

Thanks to him Dutch politics is on kindergarten level.

So the others had so much backbone that he could drag them down to his level?


As for the freedom of speech issue, the article mentions that the target of their hate speech has received bombs before, freedom of speech is all fine but if it affects the target of your speech that much and has lead to bombs being sent in the past etc. then I'd say the preemptive police work can only be applauded, especially by people who always blame the police for acting only after something bad has happened. Not to forget that freedom of speech should, like most freedoms, end where someone else is (severely) affected and when you scare someone because you threaten them, their life and their family, you step over the line IMO.

[Skullheadhq]

So the others had so much backbone that he could drag them down to his level?

Pretty much, yes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMxS_xSKujU

Van Dam is a (semi-) respected former minister who yelled insults at Fortuyn.

[CountArach]

I absolutely don't think people should be arrested for what they post on the net - putting them on watch lists, etc is okay by me if there is a good reason to believe they may have the means and actual will to carry through their threats. Further, if they do actually ultimately carry through on their will, I have no problem with the statements being used as evidence against them. However, if they are just stoking the flames of hate or putting their thoughts out there on the internet, then I see no reason to arrest them.

And make no mistake as to who is behind this. Leftists and centre-right, the usual suspects.
And I thought it was going to be a civil debate up until this point.

[HoreTore]

I don't like any restriction in free speech.

But I also believe that all hooligans should be hit with a bat. Worthless scum, football can do without them. The hooligan culture should be beaten to the ground.

[Furunculus]

i have no problem with incitement to hatred, but i am willing to tolerate incitement to violence, and if that is what this constitutes then cuff the fewls!

[Fragony]

Pretty much, yes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMxS_xSKujU

Van Dam is a (semi-) respected former minister who yelled insults at Fortuyn.

That's funny skull, so if someone calls you inferior because he disagree with you you brought him down to your level. That was always their level, remember Janmaat. Leftist logic will never stop amazing me.

You don't need to speak Dutch by the way to see the glaring contrast between the calm and eloquent Fortuyn and the rabid fury of his ultra-hyper opponent, look at these violent eyes it's all hate. It's a legendary fragment the state-tv would rather forget, and in true DDR-fashion you won't find it in their archives

[Skullheadhq]

. That was always their level, remember Janmaat.
Janmaat was just as crazy.

[Fragony]

Janmaat was just as crazy.

Not as crazy as the people who blew his wife's legs of when they bombed the hotel they had a meeting, and certainly not as crazy as the people who denied him a permit to build an elevator for her, had to drag her up, nice, guy had only 2 seats in parlement and only stated the obvious