Why have we lost our freedom of speech i refer to the Nick Griffin case?

Question

Are we slaves to the Liberals in this country?

Answer 1

He was ranting racist bile.. but you do have a point.. Theres nothig liberal about the rights of indigenous uk citizens any more..

Answer 2

First of all for those US users who don't know, Griffin is the leader of the Crypto-Fascist British National Party (BNP), who have a close affiliation to the extreme right wing paramilitary terror group Combat 18. The BNP are basically the UK answer to the KKK.

Yes, the BNP, including Griffin, should be allowed freedom of speech in a democratic society, despite the fact that they would remove that freedom if they ever came to power, and despite the fact that they do not respect that same freedom for their opponents who they bully, cajole, insult and threaten with violence.

The Griffin trial, however was not about freedom of speech. It was about whether Griffin's speech was inciting racial hatred. Incitement to racial hatred is against the law in the UK. Amongst other inflamitory statements in that speech, he described Islam as a "wicked and vicious faith" and made various other objectional comments regarding the religion. He was aquited on the charge of incitement, but his comments were in no way condoned by the court.

During the trial QC Rodney Jameson said "No society can permit disapproval of another race to be expressed in such strong terms that hatred be stirred up against people on the basis of race or ethnicity."

In a speech to BNP activists in 2006 subsequent to the trial, Griffin said "We bang on about Islam. Why? Because to the ordinary public out there it's the thing they can understand. It's the thing the newspaper editors sell newspapers with. Some people say we should attack the Jews ... But ... we've got to get to power. It wouldn't get us anywhere other than stepping backwards.......... It would lock us in a little box; the public would think 'extremist crank lunatics, nothing to do with me.' And we wouldn't get power."

It is worth remembering also that Griffin received a 2 year suspended sentence in 1998, having been convicted for incitement to racial hatred for distributing anti-semitic materials, including holocaust denial. Griffin claimed that Hitler's holocaust against the Jews was the "Hoax of the Twentieth Century".

So the BNP, including Griffin, are entitled to freedom of speech within the law, and rightly so. But where they incite racial or religious hatred, resort to bullying and threatening their opponents, or even resort to physical violence as some of their number have done in the past, they must be prepared to face the consequences as should anybody else who breaks the law.

Answer 3

That absurd show-trial, which wasted public funds and which was done again (and failed) points up the orwellian situation which has insidiously invaded society. Nick Griffin was stating an entirely valid point of view, which he had every right to do, in a private meeting. Had it not been for that weasel the BBC, the whole thing would never have got off the ground.

Answer 4

Well said Uncle Joe.

As we can see clearly from Spacehampton's accurate summation of the case, we have not our freedom of speech. But isn't it ironic that we work so hard to protect the right to freedom of speech of individuals like Griffin who would not hesitate to remove it should they ever gain the power that they desperately seek. And as crypto-fascists there is plenty of history of their political forbears doing just that.

No we are not a slave to Liberals in this country, but quite rightly, hand in hand with our freedom of speech, no-one is allowed unfettered reign in a diatribe of vitriol, racism, homophobia or Islamophobia. We can be grateful we're not slaves to the BNP in this country.

Answer 5

Oh no! Not another BNP type going through the list of questions issued from the bunker!

Firstly, Griffin was acquitted. It was perfectly legal to spout the racist bile that he did.

But, that's not what you're after, is it? You want the right to spout racist bile, but you don't want me to have the right to condemn it as racist bile. But, sorry Mr BNP (or is it bluetit, political warrior or Jill) that's not how freedom of speech works.

If you think you've lost freedom of speech, just quote me one single example of where you haven't been allowed to say something (other than incitement to commit crime or slander).

Answer 6

There's a difference between 'freedom of speech' and 'incitement of hatred'. Nick Griffin has come close to blatantly committing the latter.

Answer 7

First, Yahoo International Flags, stink, they don't work 90% of the time and I did click on my USA flag and I got the question so quit casting blame on other and point a finger at Yahoo.

Now to the question, link below to BBC article, yes and the same thing is happening in the US. I call them the PC police and they are taking control of our freedom of speech. Well, as long as you say what they consider okay you speak all day long but if you don't expect them to muzzle you.

Answer 8

Here's a bit about him. He's a BNP leader

after the trial Griffin celebrated outside the court with over two hundred supporters and champagne in red, white and blue bottles donated by Jean-Marie Le Pen. "What has just happened shows Tony Blair and the government toadies at the BBC that they can take our taxes but they cannot take our hearts, they cannot take our tongues and they cannot take our freedom," he told his supporters. [11] [12]

After the trial, Collett accused the BBC of having "abused their position" and of being a "politically biased organisation" for inciting the trial.

In response, a statement from the BBC said its job was to "bring matters of public interest to general attention", but that "the question of whether criminal offences have been committed is of course a matter for the police, prosecuting authorities and the courts and not for the BBC". [13]

Support for Griffin's right to free speech

Sunday Times journalist Rod Liddle wrote an article ('Alas, I must defend the BNP') supporting Griffin's right to free speech.

Answer 9

Well he was aquitted by a jury of his peers, which indicates that what he said wasn´t illegal. However, yes we have lost free speech, in reality a Briton should be free to say whatever´s on his or her mind - free speech should be cherished and be considered above one´s sensitivities, in my opinion.

What was sinister about Nick Griffin and Mark Colletts´ trials, was the fact that it was the BBC (govt funded) who collated the evidence, and they were subjected to a second trial. There was nothing specifically ´racist´ that could be found on the tape, though he was condemned for saying Islam was a "wicked, vicious faith" and stating that muslims were prepared to commit terrorist attacks on the UK (this was before 7/7/05).

Finally, regarding one of the comments above which states he spouted "racist bile", I´d like to ask what race is Islam? Is it asian like the Pakistani believers? White like those from the Balkans? Or black like those from Nigeria?

Nick Griffin is somebody I have a lot of respect for. He´s continually abused both by the media and the left - who often ridicule the fact he has one eye! He graduated with a law degree from Cambridge and I´m sure were he a tory he´d be a member of the shadow cabinet.

Answer 10

If u stick with freedom of speech, you will be considered terrorist , then be arrested!
Britain has gone crazy!!
Government has lost its compass on most the matters now & in the previous days.So this new government is just a continuation of the previous!!!!
God help us!!!

Answer 11

We have not lost freedom of speech in the US. You don't say what country your are in.