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UK Humourless
Jun. 6th, 2005 05:47 am>Original Article - Mainly about Stephen Fry<
"The Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech last month. Under the proposals, it would become a criminal offence to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour if one 'intends to stir up religious hatred' or if their conduct is 'likely to stir up' religious hatred. Prosecutions could be brought only by the Attorney-General and a convicted person would face up to seven years in prison."
Never again to say: A priest and a rabbi walk into a bar and...?!
I make no pretence that I fully understand what this Bill means, but it always scares me when people go about wanting to give thought police a go. I'm aware that the whole freedom of speech thing is a USA deal (or was, depending who you talk to) and that nobody sane likes religous bigotry, but isn't this a bit too radical? Or are things that bad that it's necessary to make it illegal? Seven years? I choose to believe that it would take more than a joke to land you in prison for seven years, but it's still quite scary.
"The Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech last month. Under the proposals, it would become a criminal offence to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour if one 'intends to stir up religious hatred' or if their conduct is 'likely to stir up' religious hatred. Prosecutions could be brought only by the Attorney-General and a convicted person would face up to seven years in prison."
Never again to say: A priest and a rabbi walk into a bar and...?!
I make no pretence that I fully understand what this Bill means, but it always scares me when people go about wanting to give thought police a go. I'm aware that the whole freedom of speech thing is a USA deal (or was, depending who you talk to) and that nobody sane likes religous bigotry, but isn't this a bit too radical? Or are things that bad that it's necessary to make it illegal? Seven years? I choose to believe that it would take more than a joke to land you in prison for seven years, but it's still quite scary.
