Toleration?
17 January 2006 @ 17:38
|
Yesterday the jury was sworn in in the inciting racial hatred trial of BNP leader Nick Griffin and former Young BNP leader Mark Collett. There have already been clashes outside the court in Leeds. Quite amusing really that there were 150 BNP supporters outside the court, and 600 anti-BNPers! Having been reading about toleration solidly for several days (in preparation for my seminar on Thursday) I have come across quite a few different views on whether of not ‘hate speech’ should be allowed. For example, some critics, such as Alex Callinicos (formally of the University of York) think that because parties like the BNP preach theories which are intolerant in themselves, they should be prevented from public speaking and so forth. I disagree, personally, I feel that for a party like the BNP the most important thing is to let them speak - as they did on the 2004 BBC documentary which has brought the odious leader and just plain thick youth leader to trail - because if they do, they usually end up showing how ridiculous they really are… After all, how any people (outside of the bible belt) are going to think saying ‘AIDS is a friendly disease’ is an election winning slogan? and, just in case you agree with that little statement (made by Collett), here are some more that will definitly turn your stomach! |
What I always have found so hard to understand with the likes of BNP, the National Front and other such groups is there espousal of hatred for others cloaked as patriotism, yet their preferred mentor, Hitler, was clearly against all the British people are usually thought to stand for. Or in Le Penn’s case all the French stood for. Still its probably a bit much to expect any form of logical thought form that particular bunch of idiots. It’s all just so depressing… But the freedom of speech thing really is difficult, I guess its an education thing.