UK Woman Arrested for Racist Rant? Seriously?

[Lostlover]

Why was she arrested? I thought someone here said that they have freedom of speech in the UK? Is it freedom of speech or not?

She was detained for "suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence." Basically, she was arrested for saying something hateful. Does law enforcement decide what is hateful and what isn't in the UK? I wouldn't want the police telling me what speech is in good taste and what isn't. Talk about a police state.

If that was in America, she would be picking up her teeth, but she'd still have her right to say what she wants.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8921283/Woman-arrested-over-racist-rant-on-tram.html

I don't know what is worst: the racist rant or her arrest?

I'd imagine that if you're really reaching for something, you could get her for child abuse (cursing around her children or endangering the child's welfare by agitating others nearby), but limiting freedom of speech?

 

[rareboy]

No.

You see, in the civilized world, there is such a thing as hate speech laws.

Which prevents the ignorant and foul mouthed from spewing their poison at anyone they please.

It is how it is possible to maintain a civil society that doesn't condone and promote structural racism.

I suspect she was arrested for creating a public disturbance.

 

[Lostlover]

We have perfectly good freedom of speech laws here.
This country has hate speech legislation too tho. So, racism etc won't be tolerated. She deserved arrest for behaving like a c*** in public anyway.

I agree. She behaved like a cunt. But, why is government telling her what not to say? Can't the people just ignore her?

Does the government stop sermons that are anti-gay?

 

[White Eagle]

If we had laws like that, Rush and a lot of Fox news people would be in jail.

 

[Lostlover]

If we had laws like that, Rush and a lot of Fox news people would be in jail.

Exactly. But, you just have to be an adult about it and shake it off.

 

[Lostlover]

What about the rights of other people on the train to not be harassed?

That's what puberty and iPods are for.

 

[Lostlover]

Interesting. They didn't teach us that in sex education class.

It's called being an adult. Of course, you can't teach that, apparently.

 

[Lostlover]

So puberty = adult = not minding being harassed?

If that's true, it's funny then how harassment is tolerated more in a kid's world than it is in an adult's world.

Yep. It's called rolling with the punches... you know, being a man. I'm sorry, but, clearly, they can't teach you (or anyone) on how to be a man.

This should be clear when your nuts dropped. But, evidently it isn't.

 

[opinterph]

… Does law enforcement decide what is hateful and what isn't in the UK?

As the name implies, law enforcement involves enforcement of the law.

Below is a link to a publication of The Crown Prosecution Service (the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.) The linked page offers “guidance about the charge which should be preferred if the criteria set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met.” It provides the source of law and explains which provisions are applicable to a variety of circumstances.

Public Order Offences incorporating the Charging Standard​

 

[Lostlover]

As the name implies, law enforcement involves enforcement of the law.

Below is a link to a publication of The Crown Prosecution Service (the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.) The linked page offers “guidance about the charge which should be preferred if the criteria set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met.” It provides the source of law and explains which provisions are applicable to a variety of circumstances.

Public Order Offences incorporating the Charging Standard​

That's not free speech. The biggest disservice for bigots are their own words!

Thomas Jefferson wrote that unpopular speech needs to be protect. Democracy, according to Jefferson, is the voice of the minority.

 

[opinterph]

That's not free speech.

Regardless of whether it represents what may be regarded as an excessive restriction of personal freedom, it is the law in England and Wales.

 

[Lukeee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47HoiM0Au8

 

[Lostlover]

I would have assumed it was the voice of everybody together, but eh, i'm no former president...

I for one am happy to live in a society of 99.9% free speech.

You think it's 99.9% free.

The biggest contributor to hate groups are economic factors, not hate speech.

When you try to shut up a foolish woman, who has no point to make, you become almost as bad as she is.

 

[CowboyBob]

I see there are stupid people in the UK too.

Yes, Democracy protects the minority. We have to take the bad with the good too.

 

[Lostlover]

I see there are stupid people in the UK too.

Yes, Democracy protects the minority. We have to take the bad with the good too.

Exactly. She just doesn't have a show on Fox News like a Beck.

 

[Lostlover]

"Hate speech laws usually backfire." - Sunny Hundal from England.

So true. You're giving this woman way too much power by arresting her.

How did they arrest her? Did the cop say, "You're under arrest for making a racist statement."?

I can't wrap my head around this one.

 

[palemale]

The woman seems to me to be deranged. People should have ignored her, but alerted child protective services. Someone like her should not be raising a child until she gets psychological help.

 

[Lostlover]

The woman seems to me to be deranged. People should have ignored her, but alerted child protective services. Someone like her should not be raising a child until she gets psychological help.

You have to question her judgement... inciting others around her. I've heard of parents having their children taken away for being smokers. She should have hers taken away too.

 

[Lostlover]

If that woman was simply saying that black people and polish people do not belong in the UK, it may have illicited a conversation as to why she thought that, or it may have just been ignored.

That is not what she did tho. She was being pointedly abusive.

Both comments would be offensive, but only the latter gets you arrested.

Sunny Hundal makes out that you cannot be insulting, you can, free speech allows that, free speech here does not allow you to be abusive with impunity.

I think it is pretty amusing that Sunny Hundal urged non-white voters to vote Conservative on the basis that Labour policies (some of which were pushed by non-white groups) saw a prosecution rate higher amonst non-white groups, which presumably included muslim extremists who offended the national identity, then voted Liberal Democrat himself instead. And then when they formed a coalitian with the Conservatives, you'd have thought he had a double dose of satisfaction, he went and joined the Labour party. Where the fuck this guy stands politically is anybody's guess.

But still, what's so hard about ignoring her?

 

[palemale]

You have to question her judgement... inciting others around her. I've heard of parents having their children taken away for being smokers. She should have hers taken away too.

If she didn't have that kid on her lap, she might have ended up with her teeth in her lap. She clearly has serious psychological problems. Even a complete racist, if they are halfway sane, wouldn't risk starting a race riot on a subway car when you child is with you and could get injured, or see you get your ass kicked.