Freedom of Speech. A right or a crime?
Freedom of Speech. A right & privilege? Be careful, it’s getting more & more like a criminal offence!
The concept of a right to a freedom of speech, which now extends beyond just speech, can be traced as far back as Ancient Greece.
A Freedom of Speech was considered to be one of the most fundamental of building blocks when creating the first true Democracy in our history. A history which dates back to @ 500 years B.C.
Hippocrates was known to have spoken openly on many social issues from under a Plane tree in a market area of Kos. Other Greeks who were renowned for similarly speaking freely during this era, include Plato, Socrates & Aristotle. This was the foundation for all democracies.
Various other Laws in the U.K / E.U / the West have attempted to add to our rights of a Freedom of Speech.
The Freedom of Expression (Art. 10 H.R Act) protects your right to hold your own opinions and to express them freely without government interference.
Click here for further information (H.R Act) ….
changeukpolitics.org Human Rights page
Banter or bullying?
Banter has long been a cover for bullying
Banter has long been a part of British culture. It is seen as a friendly way to bring similar types together through humour. It acts as a bond between groups. In some cases…….
Over the years the term banter has been used as an excuse by bullies to try to humiliate another colleague, or “friend”. Someone they seem to be close to.
By referring to their offensive verbal insults toward another, as “only being a bit of banter”, this expression is used to intimidate others into isolating the intended target, and is perceived as questioning the “others” & their sense of humour.
Probably @ 10% of all banter is a genuine attempt to assist or maintain bonding between groups / individuals. It is humour based and most people accept an element of being able to take a joke on themselves as being a part of their own character building. We all like to think that we can take a joke. This is probably quiet a healthy attribute in an individual.
But bullies as ever, like to exploit this and use this as a weapon to try to attack and hurt an individual in their company.
By far the majority of those who use banter today, do so explicitly to inflict upon someone in their presence an element of verbal damage. To belittle and humiliate someone the bully has taken an exception to, usually because the bully fears the target as being a social threat to themselves. A bully fails to see that the only social threat to themselves, are themselves.
Bullying in all forms should be socially outed, and become unacceptable. This can only be achieved through education. Justice can only try to put things right after the offence.
Banter used to be seen as innocent humour, a part of British culture. Now it is seen as a nasty spineless means of hurting someone. Not an acceptable Freedom of Speech, but another erosion of our Freedom of Speech all the same. Click here for more information concerning bullying …..
I’m offended.
(Not really, but i crave attention, and I’ll drop you in it to get it, got it?)
Self imposed “offended persons” are a cancer within our society.
Over the last 20 years it has become encouraged by Government Departments & your management, to become a new norm within the workplace, “to challenge” the behaviour of any colleague. To show how much YOU as an individual will stand up against any type of discrimination.
This has created some hostile environments in which we have to work. It has created an environment of “professional” complainers. This is commonly found within our Police Services.
Those who will, without any thought or consideration of that action, declare that they are offended by another employees behaviour or words. Not because they are honestly or genuinely offended, or because they actually understand the issue itself, but see an opportunity to better themselves in some way. An opportunity to gain an advantage which didn’t previously exist, until they pulled the “I’m Offended” wild card. A new career path beckons.
This politically driven assault on individuals who’s beliefs or experiences differ from the political mainstream, are ultimately used to identify and punish those individuals.
This is a weapon used by influential forces to isolate those who have a right to an opinion, by law. A means created to deny an individual of their right to a Freedom of Speech, or basic Employment protection.
Freedom of Speech is not permitted in these cases, or else a challenge is mounted and the individual WILL be punished. The punishment usually being the result of another’s lies. The employment and quality of life of the accused is always threatened. A tactic used by an employer to rid themselves of an employee that is otherwise protected by law.
Such behaviour by certain “offended” individuals have similar traits to those within the Chinese Communist Party.
The term “offended” has a definition:-
“Resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult“.
Can an individual genuinely “perceive” an insult about someone else?
Can a white person genuinely perceive an insult towards a black person?
Can a black person be offended that a white person claims to be offended on the black persons behalf? How does the white person understand the feelings of an insulted black person?
These professional “being offended” individual’s claims, do in fact belittle the genuine attempts to rid the UK of discriminatory behaviour, and reduce peoples Freedom of Speech to an even newer low.
Freedom of Speech and the British Press
Freedom of Speech. Just an excuse for unchecked liable?
The British Press have quoted Freedom of Speech / Freedom of the Press in many justifications of reporting “the truth” when their judgement has been called into question.
Most journalists are probably struggling to report just the truth and make a living. That probably won’t satisfy editors or create newspaper sales. So there would need to be more interest added, even if it had to be made up and added to the original facts.
For too long now, some journalists and their newspapers have created stories about individuals where stories never existed. Many peoples lives and in some cases business’s and livelihoods have been destroyed as a result of false / fake news which has appeared in UK newspapers.
Those tactics should be seriously curtailed, as it again brings into dispute the right to a Freedom of Speech for each individual.
Trolling
Trolls are the most septic of people in our society. That’s why they like to hide away. Alone. That’s as good as their lives will ever get.
Trolls and their trolling fan base, have nothing better to do than spew vile false opinions onto people who are usually trying to better themselves.
Trolls try to be controversial, trying to be someone the troll wants to be, but only from a safe place. Hiding in a dirty bedroom, alone. Again.
Trolls feel that their personal attacks on individuals is a fun thing to do. A means of gaining a “celebrity” status in their own minds. Unfortunately those who hide behind their laptops and phones have lost the ability to feel human or to be compassionate. They have also lost the ability to be responsible. Responsible for their own deliberate actions. This is another example of the Rights of a Freedom of Speech of the majority being eroded away by a few mindless septic minded individuals.
Trolls should be identified and put into Court to answer, face to face to their human target victim. Then a judge should decide on the amount of compensation, which should be awarded on the merit of each case.
British Comedy
British Comedy and the associated Comedy Club industry are now in full decline. Nothing is allowed to be funny now.
Not because of a fall in demand, but because of “restrictions” on what the British public can listen to. Good material just can’t be dared to be broadcast.
Not because our comedians or writers can’t create quality British comedy, but because they are no longer allowed to.
U.K T.V programmes do not now try to emulate proven British Comedy classics. Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served? Monty Python or Fools and Horses, for fear of complaints about the content being offensive etc.
As a result our screens are now bombarded with “Reality” shows, where people can become celebrities in their own minds. No quality, but not likely to offend hypothetical do-gooders, due to the “radical” scripting and dubbing. Do-gooders who know what is best for the rest of us.
Even in a private comedy club, the Freedom of Speech is prohibited due to hypothetical individuals who may be offended if they were present. even when they are not.
New legislation is required to protect a huge section of British culture. Our sense of humour.
There were more rights for human beings under the Ancient Greeks. We need a New Political Party in the U.K to preserve and re-establish our basic democratic rights of being British.
Summery
2,500 years ago, when attempts were being made to create a democratic & fair world for us all, under the name of democracy, Freedom of Speech without persecution was one of the original building blocks, an original Human Right.
Since the revolution of the internet, that right has been removed from us by the bleating vile minority groups who aim to create a very different world for the rest of us.
Our Governments seem to accept this New Order, to play along with those faceless unaccountable Bond villains who intend to take away our every liberty. Who erode away the very building blocks of our culture and way of living.
The Freedom of Speech as we knew it, which forms our Democracy, has been reduced to now being a criminal offence. Some sections of British society now use the Freedom of Speech defence to destroy British Culture.