There is an interesting story out of England that shows the rising expectations among people that speech is regulated to prevent unpopular expressions. A man was photographed walking past Parliament with a small child on his shoulders and waiving an Islamic State flag. What I saw was a demonstration of free speech that is a testament to Western values. What many in England saw was an outrageous failure of the police to arrest the man.
All civilized people reject and despise what ISIS represents. There is also a huge irony in this man enjoying the freedom of speech and freedom of religion that is not just rejected by ISIS but subject to the death penalty in areas under its control. However, this is not about who he is or what ISIS is. There is little question on both counts. It is a question of who we are in the West.
The Metropolitan police insisted that the carrying of a flag is not clearly illegal: “While support of and membership of ISIS is unlawful it is not a criminal offence to advocate the creation of an independent state.”
That has led to a torrent of criticism on social media from people who are demanding less freedom of speech from their government.
We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in England ( here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). Much of this trend is tied to the expansion of hate speech and non-discrimination laws.
Of course, many in the U.S. reacted angrily when CNN reported breathlessly that an ISIS flag was seen at a gay rights march — without realizing that it was a parody using sexual images.
The response to this photograph shows that people have become almost conditioned to expect government regulation of speech. Few consider their own views as potentially subject to such prosecution. It is the speech of others that they want curtailed or denied. The trend in England and Canada told greater and greater speech regulation is a great disappointment, but to see citizens call for less freedom is truly alarming.
By the way, targeting such individuals and groups for prosecution is a self-defeating effort. It makes them martyrs and allows them to point to our own hypocrisy in espousing Western values and freedoms. I have long been a critic of the German laws banning certain symbols for the same reason. It has done little to stop the rise of fascist groups. They simply changed the symbols slightly or went underground. It is better to let people like this man work in the open and for intelligent people to answer bad speech with good speech. Forcing them into the dark recesses of society does not deter their message. It only makes them (and the danger) less visible for society.
Source: Guardian
I’d not want this clown arrested. Maybe somebody gently remove the child and kick his butt would be okay with me. What do I see when I see that flag/symbol? I “see” the organization that has murdered and maimed more of my neighbors’ relatives, family and friends than any other. My neighbors are 90% Arab Muslim. Perspective is everything…and I assure you that flag/symbol is not welcome here, but you’ll not be killed for it…unlike what the organization it supports does everyday to others in the ME.
bam bam – if JT took a public stand on the Confederate flag I do not remember it.
At this very moment, not as this very moment.
Very simple, he used the kids as a shield just like those he supports.
Is promoting a terrorist group by showing support by displaying the flag a criminal act?
He wore a shield to keep from being shot in the head.
doctoryes
My comment was meant to illustrate how the ardent supporters of free speech are often inconsistent with that support. If the removal of the Confederate flag is tolerated or encouraged–and there are no current Confederate soldiers in our midst–how much more so should one tolerate and encourage the removal of an ISIS flag, where innocents are probably being kidnapped, raped, beheaded and murdered as this very moment?
“However, there was a supporter of the confederate flag, who shot a bunch of Bible studying people in church.”
I’m 100% certain he supported eating and breathing. Should we ban those as well or perhaps discover the root cause of his actions?
‘there are no Confederate soldiers running around kidnapping, raping, beheading and murdering innocents.”
Right.
However, there was a supporter of the confederate flag, who shot a bunch of Bible studying people in church.
I can’t seem to recall–what was JT’s take on the whole Confederate flag debacle? Did he support removing the flag from government property because it is deemed to be too incendiary or hurtful? Did he pen a letter to Wal-Mart, openly chastising the organization for succumbing to external pressures because it will no longer selling Confederate flag merchandise? If one is going to support the waiving of an ISIS flag, given what that flag has come to symbolize, then I would expect the same support be expressed for the Confederate flag. There is a big distinction: there are no Confederate soldiers running around kidnapping, raping, beheading and murdering innocents.
I read the lyrics to that song posted above by the dog. I notice that the name of the wife of the son of the redneck mother was Betty Lou Thelma Liz. That is the name of HumpinDog’s wife who we have heard about on the blog. So we have different sex marriage between human female and male dog and the human is the prior wife of the son of a redneck mother whom Jerry Jeff Walker wants to put up against the wall for raising her son so well.
“The owner of the Duke’s of Hazzard, golfer Bubba Watson, car made it clean and pure by painting over the evil flag.”
Nick,
That’s a great metaphor for the silencing of speech. Underneath that white paint still exists the heart and mind that ‘thought’ it was a good idea in the first place.
There are those that follow the absolutes of sacred words and then there are those that think.
Here are the lyrics to the Jerry Jeff Walker and Ray Wiley Hubbard song about Redneck Mothers.
He was born in Oklahoma
And his wife’s name is Betty Lou Thelma Liz
He’s not responsible for what he’s doing
His mother made him what he is
And it’s up against the wall, redneck mother
Mother who has raised her son so well
He’s thirty four and drinkin’ in a honky tonk
Just kickin’ hippies’ asses and raisin’ hell
Sure does like his Falstaff beer
He likes to chase it down with that Wild Turkey liquor
He drives a ’57 GMC pickup truck
Got a gun rack
“A Goat Roper needs love too” sticker
And it’s up against the wall, redneck mother
Mother who has raised her son so well
He’s thirty four drinkin’ in a honky tonk
Kickin’ hippies’ asses and raisin’ hell, ah pick
Ah play it for mama
M is for the mud flaps she gave me for my pickup truck
O is for the oil I put on my hair
T is for T-Bird
H is for Haggard
E is for Eggs
And R is for Redneck
Up against the wall, redneck mother
Mother who has raised her son so well
He’s thirty four and drinkin’ in a honky tonk
Kickin’ hippies’ asses and raisin’ hell, let’s go
Yeah and it’s up against the wall, redneck mother
Mother who has raised her son so well
He’s thirty four drinkin’ in a honky tonk
Kickin’ hippies’ asses and raisin’ hell
What’s that spell, let’s go get Oklahoma USA
Songwriters
HUBBARD, RAY WYLIE
Regarding the quote from JT above: “I have long been a critic of the German laws banning certain symbols for the same reason. It has done little to stop the rise of fascist groups. They simply changed the symbols slightly or went underground.”I have long been a critic of the German laws banning certain symbols for the same reason. It has done little to stop the rise of fascist groups. They simply changed the symbols slightly or went underground.
German laws banning the Nazi Flag, the Swastica, and loving photos of Hitler have had a positive effect in Germany. What do I mean by “positive effect”? Well, if they can not walk around with their symbols and yell Heil Hitler then they can not arouse the children, the new comers, the wackos, the middle of the road Germans who not only went along with Hitler but were front and center at the round ups and the mass killings. After WWII the Germans needed to have speech and symbol laws. They are not responsible for what they’re doing. So up against the wall redneck mothers. If you Google that last sentence you will find the lyrics to Jerry Jeff Walkers song by that name.
In America we have a Klan Flag flying over the Capitol in South Carolina. Oh, I know that is not really the Klan Flag. Those who say it is their heritage will usually admit on cross examination that their great grand father did not fight for the Army of Northern Virginia (which is the origin of that particlular flag they now fly). No great grand daddy, grand daddy, and daddy were all in the Klan in South Carolina. THAT is the “heritage”. So stick your ISIS flag, your Confederate flag, your Nazi flag and your Soviet flag up your arse. Better that the Nazis are “underground” in Germany rather than running the country. Same with the Klan in SC.
Penelope, The owner of the Duke’s of Hazzard, golfer Bubba Watson, car made it clean and pure by painting over the evil flag. It is ironic a Bubba did that. It seems flags are a huge problem in this world. With the liberal thinking brought to its logical conclusion, if we ban all flags, then there will be peace in the world. But, of course, that would mean banning the sacred rainbow flag as well.
Professor, you should know better, there are no citizens in UK, only subjects
The limitations on free speech are much worse than this there are people in jail for what they posted on social media !
There might be a number of other ways to go after this clown. One, he’s protentially endangering the child to mob attack, if not in fact using the child as cover, not unlike terrorists setting up shop in populated neighborhoods to prevent US airstrikes. Two, he’s potentially inciting a riot or vigilante response. But going after him on free speech is suicide, when it comes to freedom, not unlike all the gun-control freaks and alt-lifestyle militants have undermined freedom in the US.
A man walks by Parliament in London wearing and carrying an ISIS flag and a child. He has the child wave an ISIS flag. He was well aware the other humans might find the flag offensive and threatening and he was using the child as a human shield. It says a lot.
Those who scream the most about how people should be prosecuted for defending their sensibilities go out of their way to offend others…. I am sure this man was well aware of the British tourists who were recently murdered by Muslim fanatics. But he carried a child.
Should he be arrested? Freedom of speach dictates no and I agree but that door must swing both ways. Perhaps he should have been arrested for putting his child in danger…child endangerment?
He enjoys the freedom of the UK to show his hatred for the very freedoms he enjoys. What a crazy world.
Thank God he wasn’t driving the car from The Dukes of Hazzard!
Those who complained should be jailed for hate speech.
Certain questions:
How long after WW2 and the exposure of the death camps would it be OK to fly the Swastika?
How long after 9/11 would it have been OK to speak out freely in support of bin Laden?