Have we lost our freedom of speech in England?

Question

At one time we could say whatever we liked in England but now we can be arrested for all sorts of things.

what I mean is you have to be politically correct in what you say. Negro is no longer a negro but a black. I cant see why negro is a negative word. I am not racist in any way at all. Disabled is now physically challenged. If you say anything to someone in the minority group they easily take offence when no offense is meant. We used to have Hecklers Corner in Hyde Park where anyone could say what they liked. does it exist now? I dont think so. We dont have to be offensive but surely we should be able to voice our opinions sometimes. England has changed so much to what it used to be like and I dont know that its for the better. We seem to have more violence, more robberies more killings and more riots. England used to be the only country in the world where there were no riots or demonstrations but we have now joined the rest of the world in this.

Answer 1

http://www.infowars.net/articles/april2007/040407cameras.htm

look at this. England is becoming a police state, much like that in the movie "V for Vendetta"

Answer 2

If you think there is no freedom of speech in England then I suggest you take a look at the many dictatorships, past and present, where you could/can be arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned without trial, tortured and even put to death for saying anything that disagreed with the government - or was seen to be in disagreement by the government's agents.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'all sorts of things' but it has always been a punishable offence to use abusive or threatening language. What has changed are the standards by which what is abusive and/or threatening are measured. That doesn't mean that the basic freedom of expression has been undermined or taken away.

Even if you are arrested the state still has to prove that you said something abusive etc. and courts do not always rule in favour of the prosecution.

I notice that you do not mention the many laws which exist that limit freedom of assembly, and are often used to restrict the activities those who oppose the government's foreign and/or defence policy. You can write a letter to the papers explaining why you think the war in Iraq is wrong, but if you try to demonstrate outside Parliament or a military base you may find yourself on the wrong side of the law, even though you are acting quite peacefully.

Answer 3

The people of England and of UK as a whole, enjoy Freedom of Speech. This freedom is enshrined in English Common Law. If you mean that swearing at another person is now not allowed, then you ought to know that such has always been an offence in England. So too is spitting in the street by the way.

What we have in UK is best described as 'Social Engineering'. This is when a government decides it wants to put an end to some behaviour or public activity and enacts laws in Parliament to stop such happening. For example, the race laws which now exist in England did not exist when I was a child. Consequently people were far more openly racist than today. No bad thing then to have laws which make it an offence to be racially offensive.

Answer 4

Would you like to tell us what these 'all sorts of things' you can be arrested for saying are? I think it's a figment of your imagination.

If you are claiming freedom of speech as an excuse to be hateful and abusive to people, what about their right not to be abused?

As the trial of BNP leaders last November showed, you can speak the most vile abuse about ethnic minorities and not be convicted in court. We still have freedom of speech in England. Sadly, we don't have the freedom not to suffer ignorant verbal attack.

These two freedoms are incompatible, but I know which one I would value more.

EDIT: You're still not making sense - I use the term 'black' rather than 'negro', because that's what black people tell me they prefer. It's not PC, it's courtesy. But you wouldn't be arrested for using the term 'negro'.

Have you ever seen a 'physically challenged' parking space? The one across the road from us has DISABLED written in 12 inch high white capital letters. Where's this PC you're going on about?

It's Speakers' Corner, not Hecklers' Corner, and it's still there - every Sunday morning.

I think you're really muddled - you say you want freedom of speech, but not people demonstrating. How would that work?

Answer 5

You can say anything against anyone as long as you are not white and a British citizen
If you are white and a British citizen you will be arrested and charged with some law that b liar has dreamed up to keep the 3rd world immigrants who all vote Labour happy.

Answer 6

It's because of the total moral decline in society, that the government has tried to replace the morals taught to children by the Church, with laws against just about everything. Of course, they will never succeed because they do not resolve the real issues which is a person's sense of morality. If there is no sense of morality, then anything goes, and we will be locking people up until hell freezes over. The Gay lobby see the undermining of the Church as crucial to their acceptance into society, the Church's refusal to let Gays be "Married" in Church or for Gays to adopt children from Catholic adoption agencies, has put them on a collision course and it is Blair and his government that have bent over backward to the whim of the Gay lobby. In such ways our freedom of speech is muted and our moral decline will continue.

Answer 7

Yes, the real English have, but if you are of Ethnic, Religious, Coloured or foreign descent then you can call the local whites what ever you want, all this anti race laws are only making things worse for every, having a good slanging match used to clear the air a lot better, and if the other guy never spoke to you again at least it was quieter.

Answer 8

No one can take away free speech not even the Government. They are just against anti - social behaviour and bad abusive Language.

Answer 9

Ever wonder if you have lost your freedom of speech in planet of apes.
Then why are we still communicating out here in a borderless world in planet of apes.

Answer 10

We've gained it, you can now say that you'd like Britain to be a Republic without getting hung by the neck until dead. Something I feel was a step in the right direction!