Police have arrested a British man, Matthew Doyle, for “suspicion of inciting racial hatred on social media.” Doyle was arrested after posting tweets in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks. He described how he confronted a Muslim woman in south London and asked her to explain the Brussels attack. After she said, understandably, that she had nothing to do with the attacks, Doyle said she had given “a mealy mouthed response” and later used an anti-Muslim epithet.
The actions of Doyle are clearly disturbing and juvenile. However, in the United States, such comments would be protected speech. England has seen the rise of calls for speech prosecutions, including this month. 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).
The erosion of free speech in England is shocking in not just the scope of the anti-speech actions but the relative lack of opposition in the country. The crackdown on free speech in England shows how such actions can trigger insatiable desires to control or punish the speech of others. What is most striking is how Doyle’s tweets were immediately ridiculed and denounced. That is how free speech works. The solution to bad speech is more speech . . . not the criminalization of speech.
What do you think?
No doubt Paul, imagine for a moment what this nation would be like if the first 10 amendments did not exist. I’ve seen in this “legal’ blog so many people ready and willing to deny the existence of unalienable rights or natural rights. It would seem to defy all reason to argue against one’s own self interest.
“However, in the United States, such comments would be protected speech.”
What do I think? I’m not so sure the above statement is true anymore. This blog is replete with stories where the opposite is true, especially if your speech happens to lean towards conservative, Judaeo-Christian values.
Olly – it is still protected speech, you just might have to fight for your rights.
(music to the tune of We Don’t Need No Education)
We don’t need no immigration!
We don’t need no thought control!
All in all .. it’s just another blip in the road.
All in all .. its just a flip and a toad.
Forcing dissent underground sounds like a stupid plan, but then I’m not a British government sooper genius who thinks importing violent thugs and ignoring their expanding caliphate will expiate the sins of being a beneficiary of the the greatest and most free civilization in the history of the world.
Don’t question your betters,folks.
And women, enjoy your burkas.
Hillary and Obama support anti defamation laws and of course are incredibly PC. Add all the horsesh!t we read like this and stupid people wonder why Trump is so popular.
Three generations of idiots are enough. Sterilize them. Send them back if any live here. They worship some despot with a headress who is old. If they drive cars they drive like perps. They speak funny. Back in their own territory they suppress freedom of speech and religion.
You know who I am talking about. The territory with the Queeny. Great Britain. Nuttin Great about it.
My only issue with this twit’s conduct is that he “confronted” a female, who may have felt intimidated by some strange man confronting her. If he wanted to confront a Muslim, he should have addressed his challenges to a Muslim man. Although people who hail from the lovely continent of Africa are known to be volatile, so maybe he feared a nasty reaction. Regardless, the twit’s actions are not remotely inciting of anything, except more Twitter comments.
Twitter did a much better job on Mr. Doyle. I don’t know how to directly access the chain but it was widely reported yesterday:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/matthew-p-doyle-justifies-croydon-muslim-woman-confrontation_uk_56f267b6e4b0f4c81e86ed4b?3fo6yrhpd6gf4j9k9
Dear Mr. Slone: I looked at H.Res. 569. This is a resolution, not a bill. If passed it would have absolutely no effect on the U.S. Code. I am surprised that you, an “editor”, do not know the difference.
To argue that the simple statement, “No more Muslim immigration,” is “clearly disturbing and juvenile” is in itself disturbing and juvenile. In a sense, it is to argue that no Muslim problem exists in Britain, where no-go zones exist, where mass Muslim grooming rapes have occurred (Rotterdam), where Sharia Law is propagating and resulting in less and less free speech, and where far too many Muslims are simply not assimilating, do not respect freedom, for after all ISLAM means SUBMISSION, not PEACE, not FREEDOM. Dearborn, Lewiston, Murfreesboro in America are becoming similar Muslim zones in America. “Freedom of Speech Go to Hell” is a sign of Muslim protesters. It is a shame that National Coalition Against Censorship failed to list Islam (Sharia Law) as one of its “15 Threats to Free Speech 2015.” It did not even mention the Garland, TX near massacre at a Draw Muhammad cartoon contest by Muslim assassins. The more we bend to Islam, the less free speech we shall have. Already many Democrat Party congressmen are seeking to pass anti-blasphemy Sharia-compliant legislation, HR 569. Now, why not open your eyes to that bill? Why hasn’t it been discussed on this blog site? BTW, for my article critical of NCAC, see http://www.globalfreepress.org/contributors/usa/g-tod-slone/3936-15-threats-to-free-speech-2015-an-egregious-and-purposeful-omission.
G. Tod Slone, Ed.
The American Dissident
While the guy is rude for walking up to someone and demanding answers, the idea that Islam (or any religion) is a “race” and not simply a belief system is a wedge defense in the pursuit to immunize faith from criticism.
I gotta say, Squeeky is dead right (excuse the pun). The West is now selling the “ideological rope” Islam will use to hang it. The irony of Muslims using free speech in an endgame to eliminate free speech seems lost on the usual suspects.
You don’t have the right to not be offended…whatever happened to that?
An Iranian professor (former migrant himself) living in Germany, decides to help out some poor Muslim refugees. As a thank you for all his kindness, they leave him in a pool of his own blood in the basement.
http://madworldnews.com/liberal-teacher-muslim-refugee/
The UK is on its way to becoming like Sweden and Denmark: Islamic Cesspools. The UK will cede more and more power to the Muslims until, like a cancer, all elements of civilization are destroyed.
I think it should be protected speech. It is a hot-button issue in all of the EU, even though England is voting on whether to stay in the EU. The woman’s response was mealy mouthed. I feel bad when Muslims are blown up (except when they blow themselves up) why should she have the same compassion.
Hey Christ C T – Be careful you jest but where do you think this once great nation is headed?
People in the USA would fill up the jail cells overnihgt
I don’t think he should have been arrested. The west shouldn’t become like a totalitarian country. It should remain free.
Let me see it’s ok to say Death to America or Americans but….now I understand.