AIBU to be concered about our Hate Crime Laws.

[1DAD2KIDS]

Did anyone read about the Cool Running float in Wales that is being investigated by police as a Hate crime?

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cool-runnings-float-racist-wales-carnival-aberaeron-police-investigation-black-wigs-jamaican-flag-a7922421.html

I assume common sense will prevail and no charges will be made. But it got me thinking of the dangers of such lose and subjective hate crimes laws and the potential risks to our freedom of speech and artistic expression. I mean who is the arbiter of such lose laws? Who decides what is an act of hate and who can and can not offended? Could the framework of these laws be used to silence and prosecute a whole range of voices? We have seen many examples of powers created to fight terrorism used by councils and police for things they were not intended for to tackle all sorts of groups such as protesters. Lose laws can be easily abused because they are subjective in nature. I have similar concerns with things like digital economies act and a growing Big Brother culture. Are we becoming a less free society in terms of speech and expression?

Blackface is offensive and racist, though. Maybe people will think twice about doing it again.

I don' think it was ok for them to do it, but I don't think its a hate crime or a police matter either.

Research the history of blackface and you'll understand why it can be considered a hate crime.

My point is not so much about blackface, I am aware of its historical context and the offence it causes. Also I believe it is more important to look at the context and intent behind an act of expression rather than just criminalising the use of such visuals, actions or words. We can not live in a free society and no one be offended. Its more a concern about the wide scope of our laws and how they could be open to abuse and misused.

Research the history of blackface and you'll understand why it can be considered a hate crime

In this context though, do you honestly think it is a hate crime?

What happened to using social disapproval to effect change? It works very well. This actually just plays into the hands of the far right, criminalising stupidity reads like the "loony liberal left" have gone too far again.....

Blackface is never right.

I am, however, totally gobsmacked that misogyny isn't included as a hate crime in nearly all police areas

What happened to using social disapproval to effect change? It works very well.

It also works in a way where you know who the racist assholes are. Which is the biggest advantage.

As white privilege is very much a thing, and white people still have the power in Britain, I am not much worried about white people in general being harmed by misuse of laws against hate crime. However, the fact that things that insult PoC are considered hate crimes, while misogyny is legal and widespread, and the fact that ALL men have male privilege, makes me worry.

It could result in women being silenced whenever the men who harm us have any, however flimsy claim about belonging to some minority or the other.

I'm not sure how anyone can "innocently" think blackface is ok in 2017. If you know something is offensive and do it anyway then that's deliberately provoking offence which I suspect would be a hate crime.

I love Cool Runnings. But no matter the subject, blackface is not ok. And I'm surprised if the people behind it did it being truly ignorant of the offensive they would cause, I just don't believe that's possible anymore. And the carnival organisers never should have allowed it.

I don't think anyone is saying it was ok. The question is should it be a hate crime they should be charged for.
I think it's actually ridiculous to suggest they would be, as well as counterproductive.

Black face is not ok.

But it doesnt follow that its a hate crime.

I am not much worried about white people in general being harmed by misuse of laws against hate crime.

Misuse of law against anybody should be of concern to everyone.

I'm not sure it qualifies as a hate crime. There's no denying that West Wales is neither progressive nor diverse, but is being utterly thick and insensitive really a crime?

They weren't in blackface though.

Blackface is a specific cultural tradition – the Al Jolson, “Mammy” sort of thing – which existed to mock and humiliate black people. It’s that which is offensive, not the act of putting makeup on.

These guys were just made up as movie characters.

I wish people would think more carefully about what blackface actually is and why it is racist.

The very premise of a hate crime worries me. Its very dodgy territory in my book. I delves too deep into the realms of thought policing and has potential to enforce a truly political correct society. I use the term political correct in its original context. A world were we can only have and express views that are politically correct in line with ruling narrative is very scary to me. As VestalVirgin has highlighted the law has potentially very fluid in scope. I have read over my time many comments on MN that could claimed to be misandrist to the same extent certain views expressed are misogynist. Because of its lose nature what if you had a more repressive government in power? Hate is a very subjective thing and easy to use to silence people who are politically incorrect. When you attack someone's freedom of thought and speech you potentially attack your own. I believe these are human rights for all, even the people I deplore.

VestalVirgin your lack of giving a dam to if the laws are abused on white people is saddening. How can we ever have a fair society with an attitude like that? Being indifferent to the plight of one group in society is not a just way of addressing the plight of another group.

BlackForestCake I agree with you. What fascinates me is there is a tendency not to question things any more or aim to put things into context. We are just being blindly conditioned to attack and denounce certain things without question or actually looking deeper into what's going on and being said.