Ulsterman in Texas

Very interesting thing happened today, my wife was released from the rehab facility but still needs home health, 3 mouths after her car wreck. Anyway the person from the home health agency asked her if she was "OK with a black nurse". apparently there are some who do.

hungryhorace

Internet providers in the UK have now added the political party the BNP to their 'hate speech' list of things to be blocked. Whilst I abhore the BNP's views, I'm even more outraged that they're being censored.

That's the UK for you; censorship and nanny state with NO legal right to freedom of speech.

Derrygal

That is one of the reasons I would never live in the South. I lived in Georgia for 3 years - couldn't go back down south - I'm way too liberal minded for Texas or any other southern state.

scrubbedexpat097

I'm very liberal minded and have lived in Texas for 25 years. I have also never been asked if I am racist either

Ulsterman in Texas

Have a problem with having a black nurse I mean

Curtis86

LoL, you make it seem like it's North Korea. Whilst I agree with your view to an extent, I also do not condone nor believe that it should be ok to speak such hatred and get away with it. I just believe that certain things should not be said nor tolerated.

hungryhorace

The BNP might air views that you, I and others find objectionable, but censoring their right to air those views is an affront to democracy. Period.

Your mention of North Korea is interesting btw; a lot of restrictions the UK has placed on freedom of speech could have easily been lifted from the Middle Eastern despot handbook 101.

Curtis86

Well, more than 95% of those who go to Oxford and Cambridge come from private schools. Democracy isn't always such a privilege to everybody

robin1234

I disagree. I think the US Constitution and it's amendments is a ridiculous farrago and I don't think other countries need to be blindly emulating it. Hate speech should be subject to "censorship" and criminal sanction.

steveq

Bollocks
"For 2012 entry, of UK students attending maintained or independent schools or colleges in the UK, 57.5% of places went to applicants from the state (maintained) sector and 42.5% to applicants from the independent sector: "

http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_univer...hool_type.html

...and that has zero to do with "democracy"

steveq

I can't disagree more strongly, you have to quote Voltaire "I may not agree with what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it"

I mean, I think Engels and Marks were, through no great fault of their own, two of the most evil men to have lived. I don't think you should be allowed to quote them in your sig, because I am most awfully upset by the results of their writings.

Speedwell

It's not that we have guaranteed freedom of speech. The principle of "my freedom to swing my fist ends at your nose" applies. The only freedom of expression the Constitution guarantees is freedom from interference by the government without an impartial law based on a sensible reason that takes into consideration the prior rights of other people. Slander and libel are still actionable, and abuse and fraud are still crimes.

steveq

Yes, I realise that, here though we have that "interference by government without an impartial law" bit. You have better slander and libel laws, because you also have fair comment

Speedwell

Granted, I was agreeing with you and responding with you to Robin1234.

The main check on hate speech should be the manifest disapproval of the people around the speaker. Here in the US we are not so shy about telling people they're full of it. My perception (and I could be wrong) is that educated and cultured British people who hold enlightened views tend to be less confrontational, and to have to plow past the "don't make waves, don't put yourself forward" taboo when they do have to defend an unpopular position.

Cardienscarf

Where did you get that information from? And how does Oxbridge attendance affect democracy?