On Freedom Of Speech

[ranger_syntax 4,422]

You're correct, it should be "homosexual". But I was wrong on two counts because it was jar-jar binks(?) carrying out the act. In my defense, I couldn't find the tweet to check, so I had to write about what I could recall.

 

Maybe best to say little about what was in it until you can have another look.

 

Either way I don't think that this detail makes a difference to your argument.

[der Berliner 3,803]

Regarding Mr. Graham, IMHO it needs to be pointed out that the public outcry and concerted media attention heaped upon him by the media - who was, as Rousseau pointed out, doing just one of many thousands of people's expression of freedom of speech (something the very same press and media outlets celebrated after the Paris attack) - were primarily making him and his family a target for Islamists, something the media willingly accepted in their campaigning. We have already seen what the hate tirades of the targetted Imam can lead to ... Lee Rigby.

 

And here, the responsibilities of the medai should have come into play as well. I have had my fair share of "meetings" with press and media folk who think that they are working on a different level than your everyday customer. If they are agenda driven like some of Graham's enemies, it can lead to nasty results. Thus, as much as freedom of speech is a value worth defending and protecting, it also has to be used responsibly, by ALL parties concerned.

[ranger_syntax 4,422]

The O.P. is right that we should challenge what we see to be defamatory. We are best to focus efforts on high profile cases though. It's not feasible to challenge everything.

 

The Kenny Farquharson tweet sums it up for me. Here we have some people who are reported to misbehave in a particular way. The nature of the misbehaviour causes Farquharson to infer that the people must be Rangers fans. We have seen this before when a football manager was attacked by a Hearts supporter. Nicky Campbell wondered if the Hearts supporter may be a Rangers supporter in disguise. Nicky Campbell was challenged and forced to apologise. Presumably he did this because he aspires to better than the lazy question that he asked. He can't be the only one.