Drive by rambling
May. 5th, 2009 10:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessCouple of links caught my eye
1) "Joe the Plumber" (ah the lengths to which political parties of extremely rich people go to in order to appeal to the common man. Is anyone dumb enough to fall for this one?) comments on homosexuality
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/sex/139821/%26quot%3Bjoe_the_plumber%26quot%3B%3A_some_of_my_best_friends_are_queer%2C_but_i_wouldn%27t_let_them_near_my_kids/
Naturally they're more than a little offensive - but one has to wonder at the insanity of it. Some of his friends are gay (oh yes, where have we heard THAT before?!) but he wouldn't let them near his kids.
Well, leaving aside how disgusting offensive that is - well, you just have to boggle at how STUPID it is an what an OBVIOUS lie it is. Seriously? Would you be friends with someone if they considered you an inherent threat to their kids? Really? "Hey Fred, you're a great buddy and all, but keep the hell away from my kids, you queer!" Because, that? Doesn't sound like the bestest friendship in the whole wide world, y'know?
Or the flip side. I mean, I'm no parent, but if I thought someone was an actual DANGER to my CHILDREN then that person would not be my friend. C'mon, you think this guy's going to hurt your kids? But you consider him a FRIEND?
See, I'm actually kind of laughing at this, because it's so damned ridiculous that it CANNOT be taken seriously.
And point the second:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/named-and-shamed-the-16-barred-from-uk-1679127.html
Michael Savage, along with various other unpleasant people, have been barred from the UK because of the hate they preach. Naturally a lot of people have come out the woodwork screaming "free speech"
I've covered this here http://sparkindarkness.livejournal.com/220731.html but to repeat
It is not an issue of free speech. Our speech in the UK IS protected it is the right of everyone in the UK to have free speech within proportionate limits.
However, non-UK nationals do NOT have an inherent right to access to the UK. They do not have an inherent right to travel here. They do not have an inherent right to remain here except in some limited circumstances
We do NOT have a duty to allow hate mongers into the country, we really don't. And while the idea of the completely inept and unpleasant goverment decide who to let in and who not to let in doesn't exactly make me comfortable - it's hardly a new thing nor can I think of a better system offhand.
And to add yet again - how come all of these free speech campaigners (and news reporters for that matter) are silent when radical muslim cleric du jour is declined entrance?
1) "Joe the Plumber" (ah the lengths to which political parties of extremely rich people go to in order to appeal to the common man. Is anyone dumb enough to fall for this one?) comments on homosexuality
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/sex/139821/%26quot%3Bjoe_the_plumber%26quot%3B%3A_some_of_my_best_friends_are_queer%2C_but_i_wouldn%27t_let_them_near_my_kids/
Naturally they're more than a little offensive - but one has to wonder at the insanity of it. Some of his friends are gay (oh yes, where have we heard THAT before?!) but he wouldn't let them near his kids.
Well, leaving aside how disgusting offensive that is - well, you just have to boggle at how STUPID it is an what an OBVIOUS lie it is. Seriously? Would you be friends with someone if they considered you an inherent threat to their kids? Really? "Hey Fred, you're a great buddy and all, but keep the hell away from my kids, you queer!" Because, that? Doesn't sound like the bestest friendship in the whole wide world, y'know?
Or the flip side. I mean, I'm no parent, but if I thought someone was an actual DANGER to my CHILDREN then that person would not be my friend. C'mon, you think this guy's going to hurt your kids? But you consider him a FRIEND?
See, I'm actually kind of laughing at this, because it's so damned ridiculous that it CANNOT be taken seriously.
And point the second:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/named-and-shamed-the-16-barred-from-uk-1679127.html
Michael Savage, along with various other unpleasant people, have been barred from the UK because of the hate they preach. Naturally a lot of people have come out the woodwork screaming "free speech"
I've covered this here http://sparkindarkness.livejournal.com/220731.html but to repeat
It is not an issue of free speech. Our speech in the UK IS protected it is the right of everyone in the UK to have free speech within proportionate limits.
However, non-UK nationals do NOT have an inherent right to access to the UK. They do not have an inherent right to travel here. They do not have an inherent right to remain here except in some limited circumstances
We do NOT have a duty to allow hate mongers into the country, we really don't. And while the idea of the completely inept and unpleasant goverment decide who to let in and who not to let in doesn't exactly make me comfortable - it's hardly a new thing nor can I think of a better system offhand.
And to add yet again - how come all of these free speech campaigners (and news reporters for that matter) are silent when radical muslim cleric du jour is declined entrance?