4 months in prison for wearing a hateful t-shirt....yay for free speech Britain!

Anti-police T-shirt man jailed - Yahoo! News UK

I think the man was probably not very nice, his t-shirt was in poor taste, but to be put in prison for wearing it is just ludicrous. It follows a trend in the UK of people being arrested for Twitter postings or just expressing themselves in a politically incorrect way. If you want to wear a t-shirt saying freely and honestly why you loathe the monarchy, the police, the Tories, any such power structure then you should be free to do so.

You shouldn't go going to prison for poor taste in rhetoric.

Fuck him Miles, lock him up.

Less than three-and-a-half hours earlier, Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, were shot dead in a gun and grenade attack as they responded to a reported burglary on the Hattersley estate in Mottram, Greater Manchester.


How can you allow your civil activism to out weigh his inhumanity in this act?

I agree with Miles on this one - although the guy doesnt deserve to be alive he shouldn't be locked up for wearing a t shirt no matter what it said.

But the moment he put it on all his rights as a protected citizen (though he didnt deserve to be) should have been waived and anyone should have been able to give him a good beating, tortured him, even killed him - without fear of punishment by the authorities.


Hope he gets buggered senseless in prison

Bit like a funeral though isnt it, turn up to one with a shirt that bags the deceased or what he did for a job equals lose your civil rights. Its either one way or the other.
I say fuck him and dont care who does it.

I personally think its a good thing to lock this loser up.... the respect in this country has gone with people thinking they can just do whatever the fuck they like in this kids having kids generation.

I would like the see this type of low tolerance adapted to everything... it would be a far more civilised environment to live in if it was IMHO

I'd like to see the stocks brought back. Seriously

This guy is a right wanker. Making a mockery of the deaths of two female police officers who were just trying to do there job. I'd rather he got stoned than 4 months in jail.

Don't get me wrong, I think he is a twat for wearing a shirt like that, but I don't think you should lock people up for being twats. I believe in ones right to free speech, you cannot force people to be nice to one another and erase all negative platitudes.

When you start to accept limitations on ones right to say what one feels, no matter how much you disagree with it, then you are heading down a slippery slope.

yep or you'd be locked up straight away

off to harrogate for another session in an hour or so by the way.

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Originally Posted by Andre

Fuck him Miles, lock him up.

Less than three-and-a-half hours earlier, Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, were shot dead in a gun and grenade attack as they responded to a reported burglary on the Hattersley estate in Mottram, Greater Manchester.


How can you allow your civil activism to out weigh his inhumanity in this act?

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That can't be, guns are ILLEGAL in England!

I think the guy deserved getting jailed. You can express yourself against the police without being so callow and insensitive. Think of the victims' families.

On another note..... Reebok must be mortified.

Sure it was insensitive, but so are most of you. People have a right to be so. I don't like restrictions on speech and I particularly hate the way the UK is going. Twitter arrests, an obsession with being PC, and now 4 months for a tshirt?

If we are to arrest everyone for being hateful and insensitive then we would be arresting everyone including me and many of you.

freedom of speech. no exceptions to the rule. No laws agaınst hurtıng someone's feelıngs. THATS WHAT THE MUSLIMS WANT TO DO WITH THOSE ANTI-MUHAMMAD VIDEOS. KILL OR ARREST THE MAN WHO DISRESPECTED THEM BY INSULTING SOMETHING DEAR TO THEM. IF WE GO THAT ROUTE---WE ARE HEADING DOWN THE WRONG ROAD---WHERE THEN DO YOU DRAW THE FUCKING LINE? KILL EVERYONE WHO INSULTS OR DISRESPECTS SOMEBODY OR OTHER??? THEN WE ARE NO BETTER THAN THE RETARDED MUSLIMS WHO ARE KILLING DUE TO A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE THEY DONT CARE FOR.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

And no, you can't even express yourself in public as those same police will kettle you and potentially commit acts of violence against you. I have little sympathy for all too many of their kind.

is this video still available ??

never even saw it

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Originally Posted by Mark TKO

yep or you'd be locked up straight away

off to harrogate for another session in an hour or so by the way.

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Watch out with one of those comedy t-shirts. I wouldn't want to see you being picked up by a boob head. Sorry, I mean enforcer of the law. I wouldn't want to be upsetting those sensitive cunts would I now? Ooh your colleague is dead! Boo fricking hoo.

I'm a British police officer. :gay5::biker::'(:'(


















:cwm25:

I think that's ludicrous too.

And what's the difference between this silly cunt and all the muslim extremists that express similar views in public?

You've got to love the hypocrisy of the muslim extremists....they call America "The Great Satan" and call out for "Death to America" but you can't say 1 thing where they could even infer that you were making a dig at Islam or Prophet Muhammad or their culture or they will burn up a fucking city or overrun an embassy.....take a fucking chill pill, they are SOOOOOO uptight about things.

AS ı SAID---IF WE PASS LAWS AGAINST IDIOTS WITH STUPID TEE SHIRTS THEN WE CANNOT THEN CALL THE mUSLIMS IDIOTS FOR WANTING LAWS PASSED AGAINST CARTOONS OR VIDEOS. THEN YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN THOSE IMBECILES YOU LOVE TO MAKE FUN OF. tHE wEST IS A REAL PRO AT DOUBLE STANDARDS ISNT IT?

"Soldiers returning from Iraq - and marching through Luton as part of a homecoming parade - were greeted with banners branding them as "butchers, war criminals, murderers, terrorists and baby killers" by Islamic extremists.

The police had to form a protective cordon around the Islamic fanatics when local people turned against them."

What's the difference between this idiot and those idiots? They both "offended" people in public by displaying a slogan. The police protected one lot yet arrested the other.

What am I missing here? :-\

They protected one lot because there would have been a riot which would have endangered public safety. When there is a planned protest, there will always be a police presence. It's not because the police force are pro Islamic extremist.

As for the guy with the Tshirt, he's an attention seeking idiot but I'm not sure it warrants jail.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ono

They protected one lot because there would have been a riot which would have endangered public safety. When there is a planned protest, there will always be a police presence. It's not because the police force are pro Islamic extremist.

As for the guy with the Tshirt, he's an attention seeking idiot but I'm not sure it warrants jail.

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So the difference is - one lot informed the police of their intention to offend the public beforehand and the other didn't. Makes sense.

Somebody sent to prison for an anti-police t shirt. Some Muslim gets sent to prison for posting something about British soldiers on the internet. This is just fucking wrong. It doesn't matter how reprehensible somebody's stated opinion is, they should be free to express it.

Voltaire quotes

That said should we have tougher sentences for the scumbags in the population? Oh yes. I don't think we should lock them up though, just end their access to benefits and throw them in work houses. Rather than pay fortunes to lock them up make them work to earn their keep and force them into work when they're let out of the work house by not allowing them much in the way of benefits.

Well I personally feel we should get all the chav's, the t-shirt guy and anyone who has ever been a guest on Jeremy Kyle, round them up... put them in a field and...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMHDBL7CNA4

The punishment system in our country is broken. Too harsh sentences at times, too generous mostly. I see some things and it really doesn't make sense.

People are getting sent to prison now for writing a message on twitter or making a Facebook group. Happening a lot.

Yet steal something, beat someone up, you'll get some community service and a small fine. No fine if you have no job.

Well I kind of feel him, I've been in the same situation!

When you feel for wearing your favorite T-shirt and you're are not allowed too you obviously shoulnd't get locked up! Even if it said something like his t-shirt did! Just take it away and rip it apart, dont make a huge deal out of it.

My situation was that I had a shirt that said; smile if you take it in the ass, And I understand why they took it away from me nowdays, It was stupid of me to even have it on to school, I thought it was fun at the time... Young and stupid!

But the guy who's on the news is just redicilous, one of thoose guys who didnt grew up.

-Xweetie

What do all of you pro free speech at all costs advocates, think we should do about those who use words to mentally torture others?

When young adolescents are being targeted via social media and bullied into killing themselves by their peers? We lose hundreds per country thousands of young kids per year world wide. Some people are doing it hard enough for any number of reasons at home then they are publicly blamed and shamed for all kinds of differences; they are very sensitive people already in depressive states and are being mentally tortured and pushed over the edge by free speech.

Do you think the relatives and children who read that guys tee shirt after loosing their mum, wife, sister, or own children, are being mentally tortured by him wearing it?

What should happen?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 0james0

The punishment system in our country is broken. Too harsh sentences at times, too generous mostly. I see some things and it really doesn't make sense.

People are getting sent to prison now for writing a message on twitter or making a Facebook group. Happening a lot.

Yet steal something, beat someone up, you'll get some community service and a small fine. No fine if you have no job.

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And in some cases no fine if you have a top job and declare bankruptcy after manipulating millions off to your relatives.


I think its a mess also due to the known cost of changing or rewriting written law. They all charge a fortune and would bankrupt each state if every law were to be even reevaluated, aside from actually changed.

Yeah Greenbeenz I know James is from England, I was talking on world wide bases we have states here in Oz that have their own laws, Same in the United states.

It is a world problem.

I think you have to be able to say what you want no matter what the cost. I have been abused a lot on here, but it is my choice to stay and ride it out. I complain about it and thankfully the good side in people realize it is just a cuntish thing to do. But at the end of the day you do have a choice. Stay or walk away.

In terms of tshirt man, when he gauges the reaction of the public, just maybe he will adjust his stance or maybe just ignore them. People can call him a dick for it, but it is only wrong when somebody then uses violence towards him. Nobody has to be his friend or pretend to smile.

In terms of social media. Again, I think your own idiocy should be punished by the verbal reaction alone. Governments should keep away. Only when you are threatening violence or murder upon someone is the government needed. If you cannot handle the site you are using then just stop. Suicide is a choice one makes, but there are typically alternatives to that.

I don't believe in governments trying to make us PC and controlled. Once you cut a tongue you have done something serious. You can barely protest freely anymore and when you can't even say that the Queen is a hideous dictator and that her offspring are all inbred, then the establishment have everything again.

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Originally Posted by Gandalf

I think you have to be able to say what you want no matter what the cost. I have been abused a lot on here, but it is my choice to stay and ride it out. I complain about it and thankfully the good side in people realize it is just a cuntish thing to do. But at the end of the day you do have a choice. Stay or walk away.

In terms of tshirt man, when he gauges the reaction of the public, just maybe he will adjust his stance or maybe just ignore them. People can call him a dick for it, but it is only wrong when somebody then uses violence towards him. Nobody has to be his friend or pretend to smile.

In terms of social media. Again, I think your own idiocy should be punished by the verbal reaction alone. Governments should keep away. Only when you are threatening violence or murder upon someone is the government needed. If you cannot handle the site you are using then just stop. Suicide is a choice one makes, but there are typically alternatives to that.

I don't believe in governments trying to make us PC and controlled. Once you cut a tongue you have done something serious. You can barely protest freely anymore and when you can't even say that the Queen is a hideous dictator and that her offspring are all inbred, then the establishment have everything again.

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Free speech at any cost! Thats a very tough call.

Too many people are lazy so they blame others for the state of all our being and hide behind the free speech banner. Its a right but you know it will lead into friction and then violence.

Free speech is fine if you are mature enough to except all points view as having their right to exist, as soon as you step out into self righteousness at others expense you are heading for trouble.

My stance on this is nothing new and I have made similar arguments in the past. People like Lyle like to try and paint me into what they want, but on many issues I am either conservative or else liberal. I don't like how the discourse is set by the media and how everyone is expected to hop in line. Saying what you want just means staying true to your principles. It doesn't necessarily needs to lead to violence, but unfortunately it can and will, because some people are primitive, base, and don't have the mental capacities to respond with a sharp one liner. You have to be careful of those people and always carry a knife in your pocket or use the ignore button like Mars does with me.

One should always be free to be provocative without fear of death. It is important to raise questions and act like sandpaper. Mind you this guy was probably just being a primitive plop head, but certainly not worth any time in a cell. The UK is a sad place. A bunch of serfs getting locked up, warned and everybody seemingly a nonce. Ridiculous.

ıts hard to prove there ıs a "cost" of free speech. I understand what Andre ıs sayıng about the mental torture---but where do you then draw the lıne? how can you prove mental torture? what drıves 1 person to suıcıde may not affect another person at all. How could we then apply the law evenly?

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

ıts hard to prove there ıs a "cost" of free speech. I understand what Andre ıs sayıng about the mental torture---but where do you then draw the lıne? how can you prove mental torture? what drıves 1 person to suıcıde may not affect another person at all. How could we then apply the law evenly?

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Judge Judy ;D.

Not clear what the actual charge in regards to the shirt...disturbing the peace, in sighting a riot, threat, or just being a fucking idiot? If its percieved as a direct threat than I can't argue not to at least question him, and frankly I cannot stand Johnny Law. Considering it was only 3 hrs after the murders I doubt they had solved it or detained any suspects. The initial conviction is pretty iffy and raises big questions based on 'individual expression' but wonder how much pertained to his previous charges that were unrelated. They don't say what he was being sentenced to in conjunction with the follow up 4 months for this?

Emotions had to be at peak, I'm sure this ass has something lurking that would light a fire to lash out with that hate but also if being a complete fucktard was a crime jail over crowding would be at an all time high. He's actually lucky some plain cloths didn't take him to a back alley really...or vigilante or relatives didn't get a hold of him and use his head for a football.

This is not a case about freedom of speech at all. We are not America. This is a case in which a person out on license with previous convictions clearly breached the conditions of his release. He was charged under the British Public Order Act. For displaying writing or other visible representation with intention of causing harassment, alarm or distress.Miles do you really think that there is no such thing as the offence of incitement? Surely you would agree that harassment exists? Is it fine to remove the word cop and wear a T Shirt saying "Kill a Homo for fun" or " Kill a Black man for Fun" or "Kill an Immigrant for fun..Ha ha"? Can you not see how that might precede a huge public order incident with punches being thrown or Riots starting?

Free speech is not an absolute right. If it were then somebody could constantly harass an ex partner by bombarding them with phone calls and messages to an unreasonable degree and one would be free to waste the emergency services time by ringing them and babbling on when no emergency had occurred. If I went on and on and on at you at the pub all night about punching that annoying guy in the corner who said you were that this and the other for night after night and year after year and eventually you snapped and smacked ME on the nose do you not think that I would be at least partially responsible for incitement by abusing my privilege of Free speech ?

Even if the intended victim of a threatening message does not feel intimidated if someone is likely to cause a disturbance of the peace by outraging or offending public decency so much that he himself may be assaulted then British law allows for him to be arrested to prevent this spiralling into a riot. The fact that people are outraged when this law was is not properly utilised to apprehend extremists protesting just proves that the majority of the population for whom this law was intended agree with it's sentiment.

I feel a little dirty saying this but I'm with Miles.

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Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

This is not a case about freedom of speech at all. We are not America. This is a case in which a person out on license with previous convictions clearly breached the conditions of his release. He was charged under the British Public Order Act. For displaying writing or other visible representation with intention of causing harassment, alarm or distress.Miles do you really think that there is no such thing as the offence of incitement? Surely you would agree that harassment exists? Is it fine to remove the word cop and wear a T Shirt saying "Kill a Homo for fun" or " Kill a Black man for Fun" or "Kill an Immigrant for fun..Ha ha"? Can you not see how that might precede a huge public order incident with punches being thrown or Riots starting?

Free speech is not an absolute right. If it were then somebody could constantly harass an ex partner by bombarding them with phone calls and messages to an unreasonable degree and one would be free to waste the emergency services time by ringing them and babbling on when no emergency had occurred. If I went on and on and on at you at the pub all night about punching that annoying guy in the corner who said you were that this and the other for night after night and year after year and eventually you snapped and smacked ME on the nose do you not think that I would be at least partially responsible for incitement by abusing my privilege of Free speech ?

Even if the intended victim of a threatening message does not feel intimidated if someone is likely to cause a disturbance of the peace by outraging or offending public decency so much that he himself may be assaulted then British law allows for him to be arrested to prevent this spiralling into a riot. The fact that people are outraged when this law was is not properly utilised to apprehend extremists protesting just proves that the majority of the population for whom this law was intended agree with it's sentiment.

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I do believe incitement exists and I don't believe it should be an offense. If anybody wanted to wear a t shirt saying 'I hate miles because he's a twat', then I just have to grin and bear it. I might not like it, but nobody should be getting locked up for it. Missy even wished I had cancer the other day. That is a dreadful thing to say, almost as bad as you could ever get really, but I don't want to take away her voice. Let it be said. Likewise I say things that others find a bit much. Provocation is part of who we are as human beings and yes, sometimes it is hateful.

In the example of the guy in the pub, nobody is forcing you to listen to him and if enough people get annoyed with him then the pub loses customers and the guy ends up talking on his own. Nobody should punch him though and if he does punch the guy in the corner, then absolutely, you need to sock him with the law and harshly so.

Also I have no problems with idiots wanting to target particular groups with a t shirt. I don't think it matters. Now if you were knocking on doors and then berating them, then yes I am against that. But this guy didn't stalk the police, he just showed callous insensitivity and we all do that on occasions. We don't need to be locked up for 4 months for it.

Harassment does exist and stalking is a foul form of behaviour, but did this man stalk anyone? No, he just went out like a bell end wearing a retarded t-shirt. Stalking typically involves a physical act too. Someone will follow you, someone will call you when you have told them not to. That is an invasion of privacy and it is for that reason that I think stalking type behaviour is wrong. You can post on the internet that you hate Britney Spears, wear a tshirt saying likewise, but you shouldn't follow her personally. I think those are quite distinct things.

From a legal stand point I think we all are.

Morally that changes when others are hurt by it adding to their already heavy burden.

That the line right there.

Now we're thinking about the Muslim leaders and fanatics kicking up about cartoons etc and our freedom to continue to call them as we see fit.

Also I think for the vast majority of people, education is enough and beyond that people are generally able to get on with life and one another without too many problems. I had a student last year who was wearing a Hitler t-shirt done in a faux Warhol style. Personally I found it quite odd, but also rather funny and commented as much to the student. Apparently his Dad had told him to destroy it by the end of the day and in turn I was offered the t-shirt. I politely declined. It wasn't really my style and plus my student days of sartorial rebellion were long gone. And so the funky Hitler fad never really caught on.

Basically the point of that story is that through our social connections we typically know where the lines are. Personally, I think there should be no lines, but I wear nothing but jackets and button shirts which look very dull. My students Dad thinks there should be lines and told his son as much. The son despite his bravery was forced to compromise due to the expectations and demands of others. You don't really need laws telling you what to do as we all exist quite fine without them.