Where to report?

[Ex- Member]

Sebrof posted in the closed thread with regard to nina c's postings as below.

 

 

Was it not Goebbels who said that if you repeat a lie often enough people will start to believe it? What Nina said did not constitute a wish to commit violence, let alone racially motivated violence, but if you believe she has broken any laws, it is your duty to report her.

I've no desire to rusurrect the thread, but wanted to reply that I already had.

And inform any members that might feel offended by any racist remarks, that you can complain here.

https://secure.met.police.uk/hatecrime_internet/

[alan_fincher]

 

To be clear, I abhor seeing people express views that I consider racist.

 

But am I the only one who has difficulty in squaring the comment that has appeared for some time in your auto-signature.....

 

I may detest what you say, but defend to death your right to say it.

 

with the fact that you don't think racist comment should be allowed on this forum, (or presumably elsewhere).

 

Whilst being glad to live in a country that usually permits "free speech", I am also concious that if you let anyone spew whatever bile they wish to, with no possibility of censorship, that's a pretty bad place to be as well.

 

That, I guess, is the conundrum!

[Ex- Member]

 

To be clear, I abhor seeing people express views that I consider racist.

 

But am I the only one who has difficulty in squaring the comment that has appeared for some time in your auto-signature.....

 

 

 

with the fact that you don't think racist comment should be allowed on this forum, (or presumably elsewhere).

 

Whilst being glad to live in a country that usually permits "free speech", I am also concious that if you let anyone spew whatever bile they wish to, with no possibility of censorship, that's a pretty bad place to be as well.

 

That, I guess, is the conundrum!

 

I suppose it is, I'm an ardent believer of freedom of speech but there of course has to be a line drawn somewhere.

 

 

I'm not denying their right to say it and I wouldn't, however if people choose to say things that are deemed offensive and or illegal by the powers that be, then that's a problem for them not for me.

 

You can make a good argument and debate about racism or any other subject for that matter without going down the road of using statements possibly offending people either as a race or as an individuals.

 

maybe my signature might need rewording.

 

 

I may detest what you say, but defend to death your right to say it. As long as you don't offend.

Possibly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[14skipper]

I suppose it is, I'm an ardent believer of freedom of speech but there of course has to be a line drawn somewhere.

 

 

I'm not denying their right to say it and I wouldn't, however if people choose to say things that are deemed offensive and or illegal by the powers that be, then that's a problem for them not for me.

 

You can make a good argument and debate about racism or any other subject for that matter without going down the road of using statements possibly offending people either as a race or as an individuals.

 

maybe my signature might need rewording.

 

 

I may detest what you say, but defend to death your right to say it. As long as you don't offend.

Possibly

But who decides what is offensive ?

Edited September 6, 2011 by 14skipper

[jenlyn]

Sebrof posted in the closed thread with regard to nina c's postings as below.

 

 

I've no desire to rusurrect the thread, but wanted to reply that I already had.

And inform any members that might feel offended by any racist remarks, that you can complain here.

https://secure.met.police.uk/hatecrime_internet/

on a serious note, you seem to have no inclination or ability to hold reasonable debate. Please do change your signature, it is a contradiction of your true beliefs

[sebrof]

Sebrof posted in the closed thread with regard to nina c's postings as below.

 

 

I've no desire to rusurrect the thread, but wanted to reply that I already had.

And inform any members that might feel offended by any racist remarks, that you can complain here.

https://secure.met.police.uk/hatecrime_internet/

 

That link is to a site for reporting "Internet Hate crime".

 

The hatred I saw was in the posts of CarlT, Julyninian, and Wanted. No doubt the police will pick that up.

 

Seems like a bit of an own-goal.

[David Schweizer]

But who decides what is offensive ?

That is a serious and sometimes difficult question, but where Racism is concerned, it is my understanding that the accepted answer is that it is the offended person who ultimately makes the decision.

 

As someone who has been on the end of quite a lot of Xenophobic jokes in my time, there have been opccasions when I might find some of them offensive, whereas the perpetrator thinks they are funny. The latest one recently experienced by my daughter was when someone asked whether our boat was a U-Boat. Funny, or mildly offensive? it really depends upon your personal perception and position within the context of the "joke"

 

Fortunately my daughter has a robust personality, and the perpetretor very rapidly regretted the joke, and wished the ground would open up, and swallow him. Don't know where she got that characteristic from.

[sebrof]

That is a serious and sometimes difficult question, but where Racism is concerned, it is my understanding that the accepted answer is that it is the offended person who ultimately makes the decision.

 

Ultimately, it must be a court. Otherwise anybody could claim anything, no matter how absurd.

[David Schweizer]

Ultimately, it must be a court. Otherwise anybody could claim anything, no matter how absurd.

Yes, you are of course correct, but most Racist or Sexist comments (particularly those in the workplace) can be dealt with by the intervention of Management and through arbitration. all Local Authorituies, and I guess, most other large employers will have a procedure in place, but as you say, if that system fails, or does not exist, the only recourse is through the Courts.

 

Having said that, the Court will still take into account what was actually said, and will need to decide whether the offended person was genuinely offended, or merely seeing offence where none took place, which is not the same as where none was intended.