h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You're probably better able to answer this than I am, being more knowledgeable about US constitutional law.

Would Paul Galliano's recent anti-Semitic outburst be classed as hate speech if happened in the US, and if so where is the line drawn between that and what the Phelpsters do? Galliano is facing a trial and up to six months in the jug if convicted.

I know there are hate speech laws in the US and the first amendment doesn't allow people to say absolutely anything they feel like saying. It seems though that while there are people in the UK (my best point of reference) who hold views similar to those of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and... the other one whose name escapes me for the moment, if they decide to become a broadcaster or a writer they're not allowed to get away with anything like the bile and venom that spews from the mouths of the right wing commentators. And I think that's a Good Thing, whether the person spewing it be from the right or the left. Good, measured and passionate comment is welcomed, but opinionated, unbiased, and often fabricated comment that does little more than reinforce people's prejudice is not.

Er, I meant 'opinionated, biased, and often fabricated comment', of course

Actually, I don't believe we have any laws against "hate speech". There are "hate crimes" laws, but I think those only apply when there has been physical or property damage or threats of such.

I'm not familiar with Galliano, really... Just barely know that he has something to do with fashion and Natalie Portman's wore another brand in protest or summat?

But think about all the bigoted bile that has flowed out of Mel Gibson's mouth? He wasn't penalized for any of that, just drunk driving. The KKK have every right to *SAY* whatever they want, they just can't act on it.

Hate speech is usually met with bad P.R., boycotts and counter protests.

As long as you're not breaking any other laws, you're pretty much allowed to say whatever you want as long as it doesn't cause a panic.

Here's something Asteroid Lil said in the Atelier:

In a discussion of the issue on dKos, on person described a fantastic strategy for dealing with the Westboro filth; they organized a 'Protestathon' in which subscribers agreed to donate a certain amount of money for every minute that the Westboros carried on their protest. The result? Phelps canceled the planned protest. Genius!

Y'know, the Westboro signs are so, well, just plain silly, that it surely couldn't take much for a bunch of people opposed to them to come up with something equally as silly and protest outside their HQ and/or wherever they happen to be.

As for not having laws against offensive speech, that's something I honestly can't comprehend. Incitement to racial hatred, for instance, is a law in the UK that covers both speech and actions and makes it an offence to do so, and rightly so, I believe. I have no problem with curtailing that, and other similar kinds of speech. I don't think anyone should have the freedom to do that.

In the words of Dr. Zoidberg -

FREEDOM - FREEDOM - FREEDOM - OY!
FREEDOM - FREEDOM - FREEDOM - OY!

Zoidberg

Yep, Zoidberg

Ugh, just watched this video of "patriotic Americans" protesting a muslim relief dinner benefiting women's shelters and the homeless. These people surrounding themselves with flags disturb me much more than the WBC desecrating the flag.

They make me reconsider the limits to free speech. They seem so close to inciting violence. They are well coached by the conservative propaganda. They are protesting "sharia" as if that absolves them of bigotry. They don't really know what sharia is. I assume they fear that somehow Muslims will change the laws of this nation to match those of say, Iran. That seems to be the paranoid delusion they're espousing. But deep down I can't help but suspect that even they see through this as just dancing around the actual truth. They feel great that this somehow gives them the OK to express their bigotry, just as long as they use the right code phrases.

Fox News and talk radio have trained them well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutFkykjmbM

http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS14715

Duran Duran is the SXSW headline band this year? Seriously?

Oh dear, at least we've got The Darkness:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12733934

I heard a Republican politician state yesterday (to the best of my recollection) that his first amendment rights were being denied because the President had decide not to release pictures of Osama bin Laden with his head blown open.

Seriously? I don't even know where to begin with this one.

Yep. It's hard to know where to start with that one, all right.

"Next week she will make an historic first state visit to the Republic of Ireland"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13363504

Seriously?

Now, while I understand that for at least half her reign the security implications of the Queen visiting the Republic of Ireland were... difficult, to say the least, not to mention a significant amount of (let's not beat about the bush - well founded) ill will towards the British, who have been responsible for many appalling atrocities and inhumanities toward the Irish people, I do find it astonishing that she's never made a state visit to our culturally closest neighbour. A country whose citizens could pretty much come and go (and vice versa)with hardly a need for a passport.

I'm surprised it has taken the 12 years since the Good Friday agreement but I'm not surprised that there were no official state visits made before then.

Until 2 December 1999 the articles 2 & 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland offically declared that Northern Ireland was part of the Republics territory. However the Belfast agreement changed the wording to become less hostile, it just declares now that all people of the islands are entitled to feel Irish and there are no longer any territorial claims.

I guess the Irish situation is just that little more difficult to negotiate compared to something like the Spanish claim on Gibraltar, the Queen was invited to make a state visit to Spain in 1988, I guess Mary McAleese has finally realised its about time.

Yeah, it's more complicate than it first seems. Such a pity that there are places which are effectively off limits because of the things her ancestors did. I don't believe in karma but that's a pretty strong argument for it.

http://theglassangel.net/

Seriously? And if you think that's a "near perfect halo" I reckon a trip to the optician is in order.

Look for her new book coming out soon. The Cigarette Butt Bishop.

Going by the photo, that is, if anything, a glass devil...

"At the time I just happened to be reading a book on angels and other spirit guides. "

And if she had been reading a book on morris dancers, guess what it would have looked like?