Businessman is arrested in front of wife and son... for ‘anti-gipsy’ email that he didn’t even write, article.
"Council staff believed the email was offensive because ‘likey’ rhymes with the derogatory term ‘pikey’."
Are you fucking kidding!? Do we now have to consider the possible rhymes of every word we write?
And to my mind: even if the man had written the mail, and if he hated gypsies... so what? If he goes out and sticks their vans on fire, do arrest him, but if you had to arrest all the people in the UK who had ever uttered something vaguely racist, then I think there would be more people in the prisons than outside them!
Potter Stewart pretty well 'nailed it': "Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself."
ReplyDeletePolitical correctness is endemic in the world today and we are seeing the result: society everywhere is continually losing more and more confidence in itself. And … the result of this lack of confidence: the many negative consequences that come with this type of madness – something that we are starting to see more and more.
This was in The Mail, Eolake! I don't think you're supposed to take it seriously!
ReplyDeleteReally?
ReplyDeleteI'm not from this country, what is "The Mail"?
The readers commenting seem to take it seriously.
And it does not seem to be satire.
Is "The Daily Mail" a questionable source like "Bild" in Germany? I don't know either.
ReplyDeleteBusinessman has no taste in music. Gypsy is a great
ReplyDeletesong (YouTube).
I think you'll find that the attitude towards The Mail newspaper depends largely upon which side of politics you inhabit? :-)
ReplyDeleteYou tell 'em, TTL!
ReplyDeleteIf it IS satire, it's so subtle/convoluted that even *I* didn't get it. Which is an official criterium for excessive tongue-in-cheekiness! ;-)
(Or "tongue-in-cheekitude"?)
More seriously, I think this dramatically demonstrated that freedom of speech in the UK is dramatically threatened. Getting arrested by the police for a PRESUMED word which you are PRESUMED to be the author of, that's something entirely impossible in France.
I recommend this businessman, who seems to have the financial means for it, immediately file a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights. I'd never fucking tolerate such abuse if I lived on an officially civilized continent and had the money for a good legal fight!
"police had taken his DNA and later confirmed they would be holding it indefinitely."
Same with his fingerprints.
That way, next time he sends a slandering email anonymously, forensics can dust the envelope for prints, take DNA samples, and promptly identify the relapsing bastard! Makes perfect sense... ):-P
"Police said they would hold the innocent men’s DNA indefinitely, which they said was in line with national policy."
Ah-ha! Now they're being honest about it. What this is actually about, is finding any excuse to have a maximum number of ordinary citizens on file, with fingerprints and DNA.
I suppose it's the best way the authorities have found to help prevent a police dictatorship from ever possibly rising in the UK...
Are they also "holding indefinitely" his wife's confiscated computer? Probably. Standard procedure. "Yes, sir, I know this wallet full of cash was stolen from you by the perp, but be need to keep it as evidence. Indefinitely."
Right. Now, let's see if we can get our good buddy Eolake in major trouble by posting some vague rhymes on HIS blog. }:-)
"Luck bags and mikes, I bonnie bait all them slow-mo axials, keel the Mall.
Long leave, O'Sam, a bean-laiden.
Breath to a merry car, the crate sextant! So said a yet too lard home Annie.
Yes sir, a ruff hat lives, destroy the Slate of Azrael for chic a mad ya' seen.
Plow yourselves up in past anger hair pains.
Encourage resists and insult tipsies.
[A-hem. Make the last one count] Dog safe, thug win!"
There, I think this should definitely have Mr Stobblehouse sent to the gallows, yes? Jolly good show, I say.