to think burning a poppy makes you a twat..

[EdgarAllanPond]

but not a criminal?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Two-carpets-/130801686273?pt=UK_Home_Garden_FittedCarpets_Underlay_SM&hash=item1e74635701story

very worrying for freedom of speech.

Front paw, that is treason I think - which still has death penalty. sorry. Nice knowing you.

She isn't around now you know... I think it's only Bad if it was the Queen. Prince Phillip is fair game as he usually starts it.

And the National Anthem played at the tv shut down. Ah it was a simpler time...

I got banned from Twitter due to my adverse opinion of a greedy, scamming councillor. I based my opinions on a newspaper report of his activity, though the newspaper didn't call him a scrounger like I did.

Apparently the pathetic weasel demanded to know who I was - I was using a campaign name - so he could sue me! I told Twitter they were welcome to divulge, as I was confident I could prove my accusation. He didn't sue. But I'd put a great deal of effort into campaigning under that name - and had to abandon my work due to one man's "personal offence".

If (supposed) hurt feelings can cause individuals to be silenced and even punished by law, we do not have freedom of expression.

These on-line arrests have been bothering me for sometime Edgar so I am glad you started this thread. If you saw my post on the other thread you will know I have nothing but contempt for someone burning a poppy. But I still defend their right to do so (whilst thinking them a total twat) and these arrests seem like a worrying loss of the very freedoms people have died to protect.

I was banned from the Beany Baby site for 'offending the Beanies'. Hee hee hee. My proudest moment, and I wasn't even trying

Frontpaw, what about the poor Beanies?

They were asking for it. It was the height of their evil powers when there were Big Launches at certain stores for new issues. The nice lady in Selfridges told me that even though they has queues outside the doors before opening time on launch day, they only got six of the bloody things to sell on the day.

I wanted to get one partuclar one for my niece and fortunately hadn't queued up! I seem to remember this particular one had it's price cranked up for the launch and I may have used the term 'rip off' in my email to customer services via the website. Who'd've thought actual beanies were manning the site and were so touchy?

Argh, Frontpaw, I feel your pain. I collected the fuckers darlings for a couple of years. Went out of my way & budget to get the rare ones ... then gave them all to a charity shop, as I couldn't stand the attitude of the beanie community! If I'd known the sites were run by stuffed toys, I'd have melted their office made allowances.

Babybarrister, I was quite shocked that the protester who swam in front of the boat race was jailed! What the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20003058 BBC report]] doesn't say is that NO contestants, judges or audience complained about him. The TV coverage went out as scheduled. The complaint that sent Trenton Oldfield to prison was made after the race, by officials who had been told to do so by government ministers. and

oops BBC report

i don't think jail was appropriate for him either - he endangered his own life with that stupid stunt. there was no danger i can see to anyone else.

though i think the judgment in the article seems drawn because the purpose of his protest wasn't apparent, therefore the judge didn't think it was a freedom of speech issue.

although i think it'd be very bad to have people trying to pull similar stunts to gain attention for their causes, and i do think it is a freedom of speech issue (though he could possibly have been cautioned for obstructing a waterway if that is an offence)

there have been other cases where people have fallen foul of various laws - the man who twittered about an airport with a non-serious 'oh i want to bomb it' comment, didn't accept a caution, and got time instead.

though i can see why you wouldn't want people making such comments even in jest, (very unfunny jest) the law seems out at sea with this - forced to be heavy handed where an individual runs foul of legislation intended to be used against newspapers and corporate publishing/ broadcasting bodies.

I was about to start a thread about this and then found this one..

I think it's really worrying that a teenager can be arrested for posting something on his face book page. Yes it was a stupid thing to do, but he is a teenager who was trying to get attention/be funny on his own personal page, arrested? Come on. I'm genuinely surprised more people aren't shocked by this.

TMDV i'm intrigued - what could you say to nick Griffin that wasn't words ending in 'k' and 't'?

I'm at a loss

Just another sad case of the lets make it up as we go along section 5 covers all rule.

mayanala yes, though facebook is a public space, and if he were using it to, say, incite a riot, or libel someone, then you could see why action might be taken (though i would favour deletion unless an actual RL crime is in the works)

that was just a (shoddy) expression of opinion. offensive - yes. illegal - i don't think so.

Another haiku, MrsDV?

But anyway, I digress - I too agree with Voltaire and his statement, 'I do not agree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it'.

Whatever happened to the punishment meted out by society called shame?

Once upon a time people didn't do certain things because they didn't want their neighbours to look down on them. Society policed itself, not completely, obviously there were psychotics who didn't care what their neighbours thought, but fairly well. The housewife who scrubbed her front step lest others thought her a slut. The man who opened doors for people behind him because he wanted to be known as polite.

And before anyone comes along and tells me that these people were alcoholics/abusers in private, I know things weren't perfect but we didn't need the bloody thought police telling us what's ok and what's not.

Too much interference from the centre and not enough treating us like intelligent, thinking individuals. A hang-over from Blair?

wembley i think shame is alive and well. i don't think Trenton Oldfield will get very far without people telling him he was a twat. he didn't need prison on top of that -if anything court cases for these give the instigators more of a platform for their views. if he'd just been quietly reprimanded he'd have vanished from public view much faster

we could have a whole thread of poetry devoted to shaming Nick Griffin.