Are we really at the point where poor manners are a matter for the judicial system? And who gets to decide what is, or isn't, offensive? Is it legal to wear a 'Jesus is a ****' t-shirt, or not?
Are we really at the point where poor manners are a matter for the judicial system? And who gets to decide what is, or isn't, offensive? Is it legal to wear a 'Jesus is a ****' t-shirt, or not?
Hmmm. I can see both sides on that one. You could say it's the old 'freedom of speech isn't the freedom to shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre' thing, couldn't you? At what point does wearing a t-shirt designed to offend and incite anger constitute a breach of the peace? Although I agree that one saying that God/Muhammed is a **** would be just as bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
The possibility of arrest for expressing a point of view just makes me very, very nervous.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
Perhaps the police should be given the power to say, '**** off home and change your shirt, you ridiculous child.'
Well in a better, simpler time, the police would never have needed to get involved, since society would have self-policed, the fellow would simply have been rendered a few teeth lighter and nobody would even have considered involving plod. Now, though, everyone wants to get offended or screech about their rights, but they all want some other **** to do the dirty work for them. We're all about rights without responsibilities these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
The polis love a bit of Section 5 abuse though, it's their favouritest catch-all charge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Obviously, I blame Thatcher, for it was her govt that brought it in.
Phew! I thought you were going to get through a morning without blaming Thatcher for something there, j.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Jorge
Well it's literally her and Douglas Hurd who are to blameQuote:
Originally Posted by Burney
I always find that a bit of a straw man, tbh, for reasons that it shouldn't be necessary to spell out. Especially to a man who routinely offends Guardian readers with his comments.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
At what point do we consider anything that offends anybody to be incitement to anger etc? Once the offensive is unnaceptable people start queing up to get things they don't like to hear branded as beyond the pale.Quote:
At what point does wearing a t-shirt designed to offend and incite anger constitute a breach of the peace? Although I agree that one saying that God/Muhammed is a **** would be just as bad.
It's literally 26 years since she left office. Has there not been a single government in 26 years that could have undone some of these appalling things she did?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Jorge
Not really, no. Though I do enjoy you and berni vociferously complaining about her laws.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
That's the idea; there's nowadays decent money in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash
Why? We don't live in a North Korea. I don't have to agree with everything a politician does, nor do you have to hate everything someone does or says just because you disagree with some specifics. Why the need for this either/or extremism about everything? I find it upsettingly bovine because, I suspect, that with the benefit of a decent schooling you could have been quite sentient :-(Quote:
Originally Posted by The Jorge
:music: :music:Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
Good Lord! That's quite a racket, i!Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
I think that might be the point, c
Oh bless. Whereas if you'd gone to the local comp...Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Well I expect my Latin would now be execrable, for a start.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Jorge
Oh. :-( I'm afraid I'm not very up to date with modern music, i.Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
Someone needs to tell the keyboard player that the theatrics don't work. Everything has been tried, but only way to look cool behind the keyboards is to play something good on it imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
Well, it's pretty offensive, even to an agnostic such as me. I don't object to the chaps opinion but just in the same way you'd tell a bunch of kids in the park to pack in the swearing in front of your three year old, there really are other more acceptable ways and forums in which to direct your opinions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
I honestly thought that shirt would garner more sympathy on here than it hasQuote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
Considering that Mahommed's first wife was 11 years old, would wearing one of those "The Prophet was a *****phile" t-shirts land me in hot water d'ya think? That nasty little ginger fella NFE on SIMB used to sell such t-shirts at WHL with impunity apparentlyQuote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
If you were wearing one of those, I'm not sure that the police ought to be your first concern, to be honest. You're more likely to have your head chopped off with a fruit knife, than get nicked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbette Chapman - aged 15
I agree, but is that a reason to arrest someone?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
On balance, possibly.. If you remove the t-shirt element and create a different scenario where someone repeatedly bellows the word **** in an open shopping centre, would you not expect the police or some type of security to move in at some point ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Well, ideally I'd like the police, security, or indeed members of the public to simply knee the **** in the *******s and throw him out onto the street.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
But, you know, arrest? Like, with cells and courts and everything?
Will he end up getting charged ? I thought they'd treat him like some drunk who gets scraped off the pavement at 4am and turfed out of the cell by midday with a flea in his ear.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Perhaps a caution with a fine :shrug:
That's what I thought too, basically a yellow card.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
Different matter in the third world, I'm afraid. You can't wait until you're forty to get on with things as most of 'em are old or dead by that time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbette Chapman - aged 15
Oh I say.
Attachment 148
But it isn't the same. It's not remotely the same. Being able to avert one's eyes from something we'd rather not see is very different from someone screaming in our ear.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
It's not the same but there is a link. Averting one's eyes is not a solution in any real sense as you'd need to actually take in the offensive wording before doing so, no ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash
OH NOES I HAVE SEEN A BAD WORD! GOUGE OUT MINE EYES!Quote:
Originally Posted by 7sisters
People go out of their way to get offended by things and then over-react.
Well that's one way of looking at it. You'd have to see it from other perspectives. Yes.. I'd be offended if some prick was that desperate for attention that they'd risk going to the lengths to use such an offensive term in front of my young children.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash
In my world it could be deemed as something of a challenge as to whether or not anyone was actually going to do anything about it.
It shows a total lack of respect towards anyone possessing an ounce of decency.
I'd suggest if someone took him by the arm and into a quiet alley and kicked the living **** out of him, the majority of people wouldn't be rushing to his aid ?
And, of course, many would actually agree with the sentiments expressed on the t-shirt while being appalled at the wearer's lack of social subtlety and public discretion. But often the nuance of this particular view will get lost and ignored in the noise created by those who object to the message itself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
Thank God for Twitter, I suppose :-\