UK Speech Police Offended Again
Just before the sentencing of Count Dankula, the UK morality police are at it again with another conviction for a "grossly offensive" message. Chelsea Russell, 19, of Croxteth, England was found guilty last week of sending a grossly offensive message on Instagram. The ruling is apparently based on Section 127 of the 2003 Communications Act under which Markus Meechan aka Count Dankula was also found guilty for his Nazi pug joke video.
Russell posted rap lyrics on her Instagram bio last year in tribute of teenager who was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike. The lyrics, from rapper Snap Dogg's I'm Trippin' stated "kill a snitch nigga and rob a rich nigga." The police were sent an anonymous screenshot of the post which was passed to Constable Dominique Walker of the hate crime unit. PC Walker personally "found the words offensive and upsetting."
As in the Dankula case, context was once again ignored. Arguments by the defense that the word is common in rap and has changed meaning were of no avail. District Judge Jack McGarva said, “There is no place in civil society for language like that. Everyone with an Instagram account could view this content. The lyrics also encourage killing and robbing, so are grossly offensive.” Will the rap artists themselves be targeted now? How far down the rabbit hole are the UK courts willing to go to protect everyone's feelings? I am 'grossly offended' by authoritarian speech control.
As punishment, Russell was ordered to £585 and submit to an 8 week curfew with an electronic ankle bracelet.
Sargon of Akkad, covering this story in his This Week In Stupid (22/04/2018), aptly points out that "this is the police acting in exactly the same way as the Saudi police of vice and virtue. They are here to enforce a morality on you." Offense is entirely subjective and therefore any law legislating against offense is inherently unjust.
If you are in the UK, please consider attending the Free Dankula protests in Scotland and London on Monday to protest this unjust law.
Sources:
- https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/woman-who-posted-rap-lyrics-14543694
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-43816921#
- https://youtu.be/jJfKm2zVnM0
Recent Free Speech Roundups:
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 15th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 8th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 1st, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 25th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 18th, 2018
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Response to Opinion Piece in Toronto Sun
UK Parliament Report on Campus Free Speech
Thoughtcrime in the UK?
New Study Shows College Students Conflicted on Free Speech
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Campus Free Speech Zones
Hitchens on Free Speech - Must Watch
Free Speech Resources:
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
The American Civil Liberties Union
Notable 1st Amendment Cases – ALA
Milton’s Areopagitica – Modern English Translation
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill – Audiobook
Venezuela recently passed hate speech laws, its just a typical marxist, communist tool to prevent people from organizing to do anything about it. Similar to how National Action was banned and declared terrorists when they hadnt actually committed any crimes.
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