Britain No Longer Values Free Speech

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 10-12-2012, 09:37

Originally Posted by Psychonaut

Man Jailed for Offensive T-shirt

Why does this man deserve jail time for voicing his own (idiotic) opinions? Surely the ridicule and shame of the situation is enough punishment? Why does the state feel the urge to police the words and thoughts of the nation?

Hitchins would roll in his grave!

Pretty sure inciting people to attack the Police is an offense, and a serious one.

As to what Hitchens would say -you couldn't possibly tell. He might say the man deserved to be locked up for being so bloody stupid.

**naut** · 10-12-2012, 09:59

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

As to what Hitchens would say -you couldn't possibly tell. He might say the man deserved to be locked up for being so bloody stupid.

Uhh.... Hitchens was pretty clear on this sort of stuff. He wanted to hear what people had to say, and decide for himself whether it was stupid, or unwarranted, etc. for himself. Read or listen to anything of his on free expression, and his belief in upholding the right to free speech for such atrocious members of society as holocaust deniers, etc.

**rory_20_uk** · 10-12-2012, 10:09

In the UK we have Police Support Officers which go along with the police.

The police were outraged as how could these individuals posibly replace a police officer? It takes a lot of practice (and ergo salary) to wear a high-viz jacket, walk around and talk to people! Currently it seems to be one PSO with one police officer that is used but for these activities I agree that less police could be used and consequently there would be more persons on the streets.

**Ronin** · 10-12-2012, 10:41

what about 12 weeks in jail for making some jokes on facebook?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...-comments.html

places that have no separation of church and state are ****** up, just saying.

**Kralizec** · 10-12-2012, 10:59

My opinion is that it should be tolerated. 8 months is absurd.

There's a still running case in the Netherlands about a guy who wore a shirt with ACAB on it. He was convicted of a 200 Euro fine at one point, but the Supreme Court overturned it; in our system meaning the case has to be redone. So another court redid the case and found him not guilty because the acronym ACAB isn't widely known so it can't be considered an insult. Recently the Supreme Court overturned that verdict as well, so it has to be redone again. lolz.

**Slyspy** · 10-12-2012, 11:33

Either take action against the man himself or against the first person who kicks the crap out of him. I know which one seems fairer to me. Jail time seems a little daft though, but I'm guessing that the man doesn't have any money with which to pay a fine and that even if he did it would just be government money anyway.

**Major Robert Dump** · 10-12-2012, 12:10

That T shirt is not incitement.

Incitement is saying "I'll give you $50 to kill a cop"

Incitement is not "Dead cops are awesome!" What, is someone going to say "ooooh I want to be awesome" and go kill some cops?

People have brains and free will. You people are shallow

**rvg** · 10-12-2012, 13:09

Saddening. The stifling of the free usually starts off small like this, then before you know it the free speech is nothing but a distant memory. On the positive side, if this trend continues, it'll piss off a whole bunch of bright people who might pack their bags and move to America.

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 10-12-2012, 16:52

Originally Posted by Slyspy

Either take action against the man himself or against the first person who kicks the crap out of him.

How about, take no action against the man himself, and give the person who kicks the crap out of him a slap on the wrist.

Although in this case it seems like half the sentence is from some prior deal, and he has some mental illness and was not even wearing the t-shirt in response to the cop killings.

**rory_20_uk** · 10-12-2012, 17:08

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

How about, take no action against the man himself, and give the person who kicks the crap out of him a slap on the wrist.

Although in this case it seems like half the sentence is from some prior deal, and he has some mental illness and was not even wearing the t-shirt in response to the cop killings.

To the first point, I personally have sympathy, but mob justice or corporal punishment by proxy isn't a clever idea.

As to the second, he got 4 months for a previously suspended sentence. As to it being a coincidence that sounds like a defence lawyer rather than something that is likely.