Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Freedom of Speech Under Threat Again
The Daily Mail reports here on the arrest of a Mr Green who was handing out leaflets upon which were written quotes from the Bible about homosexuality.
I quote from the article: "A spokesman for the police said the campaigner had not behaved in a violent or aggressive manner, but that officers arrested him because 'the leaflet contained Biblical quotes about homosexuality'."
These protestors were present at the "Mardis Gras" gay event in Cardiff. Upon request, they left the site, but once outside, started handing out their leaflets there.
There is no mention of them forcing leaflets on anybody, and quite clearly if you don not want a leaflet there is no compulsion to take one.
Whilst I'm sure many present would not have welcomed his leaflets, the fact is he is entitled to his opinion and should be free to hand out leaflets if he so wishes. No one is compelled to take the leaflets. In any event I've argued for freedom of speech before (including hate speech) and from the article the leaflets came nowhere near hate speech, or anything like incitement.
For me it's a simple argument, we either have free speech or we do not. If we do not, it won't just be Christains that will have to shut up, but many others as well including those who criticise Christanity. No, freedom of speech is the only way forward, it is the only way that diverse views can be accomodated in one society. The police should be ashamed of themselves, a bunch of pandering apparatchiks.
I quote from the article: "A spokesman for the police said the campaigner had not behaved in a violent or aggressive manner, but that officers arrested him because 'the leaflet contained Biblical quotes about homosexuality'."
These protestors were present at the "Mardis Gras" gay event in Cardiff. Upon request, they left the site, but once outside, started handing out their leaflets there.
There is no mention of them forcing leaflets on anybody, and quite clearly if you don not want a leaflet there is no compulsion to take one.
Whilst I'm sure many present would not have welcomed his leaflets, the fact is he is entitled to his opinion and should be free to hand out leaflets if he so wishes. No one is compelled to take the leaflets. In any event I've argued for freedom of speech before (including hate speech) and from the article the leaflets came nowhere near hate speech, or anything like incitement.
For me it's a simple argument, we either have free speech or we do not. If we do not, it won't just be Christains that will have to shut up, but many others as well including those who criticise Christanity. No, freedom of speech is the only way forward, it is the only way that diverse views can be accomodated in one society. The police should be ashamed of themselves, a bunch of pandering apparatchiks.
Tags: justice, liberty, rights, free speech
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
