There is a troubling report out of Ireland that raises many of the concerns that we have discussed earlier about the erosion of free speech in the West. Bernadette “Bernie” Smyth is one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent anti-abortion activists and the founder of Precious Life, a pro-life group. She was convicted this week of two counts of harassment that stem from her picketing of the country’s only abortion clinic. The charges were brought by the clinic’s director, Dawn Purvis, who runs the Belfast branch of Marie Stopes. However, the line drawn in the case could create a chilling effect on political and religious speech in the future.
She had been picketing the site since its opening in 2012. Purvis however said that Smyth crossed the line in an exchange that they had outside of the clinic when Purvis asked them to stop harassing her. Smyth reportedly replied in what was described as an exaggerated Ballymena/American drawl: “You ain’t seen harassment yet, darling.” Smyth was also accused in court of “laughing menacingly” at Purvis.
Smyth reportedly denied the exchange at first, but even if it occurred, this hardly seems the stuff for a criminal charge. The concern is not just the curtailment of free speech activities but the selection prosecution over such encounters. It seems hard to believe that such exchanges do not occur regularly without making them into criminal matters.
The prosecutor also alleged that Smyth had been “moving around in front of the window, cackling in a witchy manner.” Criminal cackling?
The defense questioned whether there was real fear in the two separate incidents. It is hard to see how one distinguishes between normal laughter and laughing in an “intimidating and menacing way”.
The judge added to the discomfort over free speech by accusing Smyth of “deliberately and maliciously” slandering a police officer during the trial when she suggested that police officials had questioned professional conduct of the arresting officer. In light of that statement, the judge that “the range of possible sentencing may go from community service to imprisonment.”
That all seems incredibly heavy handed and reinforces the view that Smyth’s political and religious views may have influenced her treatment.
For many years, I have been writing about the threat of an international blasphemy standard and the continuing rollback on free speech in the West. For recent columns, click here and here and here.
The Smyth case creates a highly uncertain and troubling line for free speech in Ireland, particularly on one of the most divisive issues of religious and political speech.
Yes indeed SWM, you can call me Inga now, lol.
And JT, please check the IP address.
Annie, Geez….. The lengths these people will go to to punish those that don’t agree with them.
Let’s all breathe this Polar Vortex morning. BREEEATHE. Let JT clean up the trash talk, and let’s get back to the topics. There are some good ones this morning.
FYI,
The person above, Inga Dietrich, while similar but not identical to my real name is not me. I sent off an email to JT and I want to let folks here know this. So many people have revealed my real name here I might has well start using it, so from here on in I will be using my real first name, Inga.
AtheistCurmudgeon – “I’ll be more ‘civil’ when ‘Anti-abortion’ activists mind their own damned business! I suppose, when I had my vasectomy 31 years ago, this woman would have had something negative to say about that decision too!!! Bottom line…. It’s not any of her business!”
I personally celebrate your decision to go under the knife, since it would be shame to have more of your ilk around.
AtheistCurmudgeon, you have had another comment deleted under our civility rule.
AtheistCurmudgeon, you have had a comment deleted under our civility rule.
And another thing….. Sorry to hear Professor, that you’ve taken on the position of Lawyer for the Rethuglican party…. in its attempt to DENY medical coverage for NINE MILLION Americans who now are covered by ‘Obamacare”…. Not really the most decent thing to be doing… I’ve lost enormous amounts of respect for you. So please, don’t lecture me about decency…. I may use some crude language… but I still know right from wrong!!!
Alinsky once explained that his reasons for organizing in black communities included:
Negroes were being lynched regularly in the South as the first stirrings of black opposition began to be felt, and many of the white civil rights organizers and labor agitators who had started to work with them were tarred and feathered, castrated—or killed. Most Southern politicians were members of the Ku Klux Klan and had no compunction about boasting of it.[4] wiki
It is part of the right wing meme to demonize Saul Alinsky.
Dear AtheistCumudgeon, far be it from me to ask you to be more civil. I am simply suggesting you might find a more receptive audience in another forum. Conducting oneself as an obnoxious boor, and being upbraided for your uncouth and belligerent manner surely can’t be rewarding.
I’ll be more ‘civil’ when ‘Anti-abortion’ activists mind their own damned business! I suppose, when I had my vasectomy 31 years ago, this woman would have had something negative to say about that decision too!!! Bottom line…. It’s not any of her business!
Looks like we have some sabotage going on here @ Turley’s. JT is a smart man but he is also a gentle man. I was called a “Nazi” just the other day by a malcontent @ FFS. Now, here. Alinsky tactics.
Dear Atheist Curmudgeon, you might want to peruse the Civility Rule on this blog which in part reads,
“We have often been described as a place where people can have passionate but respectful discussions. That is not for everyone. Indeed, one of the leading legal blogs expressly rejected a civility rule as boring and unnecessary. We disagree. If you find it difficult or unfulfilling to discuss issues without personal insults or foul language, please move on.”
You may want to consider moving on.
AtheistCurmudgeon, You represent the liberal atheist’s well.
AtheistCurmudgeon
You crossed the line.
Please stop the offensive language. We come to think/debate, not insult.
It seems judges don’t like religious people.
Don’t we have civility rules? AtheistCurmudgeon, your free speech has violated our agreement to be civil. In keeping with your thematic response, if you have thoughts of anger and disgust that must come out in insults and epithets, “keep your opinions to yourself.”
Remember, our prez is down w/ blasphemy laws. He may sign an executive order making it blasphemous and illegal to mock him, the Savior of Illegals.
And, may I say, Ms. Smyth is the most attractive anti-abortion activist, or any activist, I’ve seen of late.
Early morn typos. First paragraph, toward end, “by” the clinic’s. Second paragraph, 2nd sentence “the” and “asked”.