EddardStark Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) "A Challenge to the Scottish Government: Are you Charlie?Does the Scottish Government, infamous for their 'Offensive Behaviour at Football' law, support Charlie Hebdo?Following events in Paris, the world has rightly come out in defence of free speech. There is no right not to be offended and those who use force to shut people up should be condemned.Scottish First Minister states that we in Scotland stand ‘absolutely steadfast in our defence of the fundamental freedoms that we all cherish so much’ i.e. the freedom of speech.The individuals involved in the killings in Paris were offended by a cartoon. Because of this they felt it was within their right to silence those who offended them by using force against the offenders.And yet, in Scotland, force is used on a weekly basis to arrest people who do nothing more than offend other people: and yet this is called ‘tolerance’. The Offensive Behaviour Act makes being offensive at football matches a criminal offence. How does this square with the ‘steadfast defence’ of a ‘fundamental freedom’ to speak and to offend in Scotland?Stuart WaitonTake a Liberty Scotland" Edited January 13, 2015 by EddardStark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormond Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 A big difference when terrorism is openly supported in sections of certain Scottish football grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddardStark Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 A big difference when terrorism is openly supported in sections of certain Scottish football grounds. Yes its a difficult one but the act goes beyond that. I think the point Waiton is making is similar point to many other observers. So many politicians wanting to identify with Charlie but coming across as hypocritical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Q Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Stuart should probably concentrate on his school homework. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossy Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Disgusting that someone uses tragic events where people lost their lives, to have a pop at the SNP. I've seen this all over newspaper forums, where f*ckwit Unionists compare the SNP with Nazis and terrorists......it's pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Isn't the offensive behavior bill one of the Scottish Governments most popular policies? Wouldn't exactly make it 'Infamous' would it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhumper Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Do any fans have an issue with the bill except old firm fans? Never heard it mentioned amongst Killie fans. Stop being cvnts and you won't get arrested. Pretty simple really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Freedom of speech must always have limitations. There are always some things that a reasonable society would deem as unacceptable and it is a government's job to legislate to reflect the views and values of the people in the society that it governs. Where the line is drawn is the tricky bit. People who dispute the legitimacy of this legislation think that the government of Scotland has drawn that line in the wrong place with this bill. The rest of society who abhor the venomous, bigoted vitriol that some people vomit at football matches don't. Edited January 13, 2015 by Flure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Ah right... one side(making up the whole of the rest of society) abhor the vitriol and the other side doesn't hence why they're on each side of the debate. Well that's a stick-man drawing of the situation where there is a binary option, those that think the line has been drawn in the wrong place and the rest of society who abhor venomous. bigoted blah di blah. I was going to make recourse to the harm principle espoused in the 19th century when the embers of the enlightenment burned bright, juxtaposed by what restrictions a government can impose and not be oppressive all in the context of the current debate on freedom of expression. little did i know i had over-thought the problem so significantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossy Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Do any fans have an issue with the bill except old firm fans? Never heard it mentioned amongst Killie fans. Stop being bunny rabbits and you won't get arrested. Pretty simple really. Exactly. Celtic fans (rightly) complained for decades that Rangers fans were getting away with bigoted, sectarian behaviour. The Scottish Government...in consultation with the Catholic Church....do something about it, and Celtic fans suddenly hate it because they never, ever believed that the law could also apply to them. The legislation is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but it was necessary because of the (deliberate) inaction and unwillingness of authority throughout the years to tackle the issues head on. As you said, if people behave themselves, they won't have problems. Seemples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 It's is perfectly possible to denounce terrorism without openly supporting Charlie Hebdo. I think that's what most sensible folk are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertsscot Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Exactly. Celtic fans (rightly) complained for decades that Rangers fans were getting away with bigoted, sectarian behaviour. The Scottish Government...in consultation with the Catholic Church....do something about it, and Celtic fans suddenly hate it because they never, ever believed that the law could also apply to them. The legislation is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but it was necessary because of the (deliberate) inaction and unwillingness of authority throughout the years to tackle the issues head on. As you said, if people behave themselves, they won't have problems. Seemples. Sums it up nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanderark14 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Eddard made to look daft again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Do any fans have an issue with the bill except old firm fans? Never heard it mentioned amongst Killie fans. Stop being bunny rabbits and you won't get arrested. Pretty simple really. Me. It's a piss-poor piece of vague legislation - and unnecessary as existing laws were adequate (just rarely enforced). Edited January 13, 2015 by Charlie Endell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Me. It's a piss-poor piece of vague legislation - and unnecessary as existing laws were adequate (just rarely enforced). This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddardStark Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Eddard made to look daft againhow come ? I just posted for discussion. How others react is up to them. Waiton makes a perfectly valid point but it doesn't follow that I agree with him although he seems to have upset a few on here merely down to the fact he is attacking the Scottish Govt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Baby faced socialist & SSP candidate Liam McLaughlan also opposes the legislation: http://easterhouseyoungsocialist.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/contempt-of-court.html?m=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossy Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 how come ? I just posted for discussion. How others react is up to them. Waiton makes a perfectly valid point but it doesn't follow that I agree with him although he seems to have upset a few on here merely down to the fact he is attacking the Scottish Govt. Not true. It's the fact that he's using the tragic events in Paris to attack the Scottish government. I've no doubt at all that there's some co-ordinated attempt in Scottish Unionist circles to compare the SNP with Islamic fanatics who want to silence freedom of speech. It's both pathetic and disgusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 As a general rule it's safe to say anything MacAskill has been involved in will not be a good idea or well thought out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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