Comments on: British ‘Gay Hate Law’ Hits Understandable Snag

By: Kid A

Kid A — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:29:34 +0000

This seems exactly to be the type of “special rights” that bigots accuse us of seeking… to implement this would just make gay people seem like whiners.

By: Lena Dahlstrom

Lena Dahlstrom — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:20:10 +0000

I don’t know how widespread “police misapplying the existing Public Order Act” is, but I personally know someone who asked the police for some data to resolve a question for an anti-bias policy her ministry was developing — and ended up being the subject of a police investigation for allegedly making a phobic comment (the question she’d been asked to research).

Over-zealousness even for a good cause is over-zealousness

By: Darth Paul

Darth Paul — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:32:21 +0000

Shouldn’t PC Thuggism be discussed? Protection from violence or institutionalized discrimination is one thing…but verbal insults? Please…we’ll have the goddam “Be Nice” mutaween on our hands if this continues unchecked.

By: Dawgson

Dawgson — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:23:13 +0000

I’m more scared of criminalizing “thought crimes” than I am of someone calling me a faggot.

By: leomoore

leomoore — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:26:36 +0000

As an adult, I think I can handle insults sent my way. As a parent, I reprimand any child who starts calling another child names or shows disrespect to an adult. If I am under physical assault, my primary concern is physical safety rather than the particular motivation for the attack.

I’m not a big supporter of adding hate as an extra crime or circumstance. My presumption is that no one is being assaulted because the assailant likes the victim. It is sort of implicit in violent attacks, isn’t it?