Comments by "Nigel Johnson" (@nigeljohnson9820) on "#TheCube | Calls for hate crime prosecution over Grenfell effigy video" video.

  1. This was a sick stunt that indicates a warped mindset. It was undoubtedly very offensive to the majority of normal people, but no violence was involved and no one or creature was injured and as far as I am aware there was no incitement to violent or criminal actions. A crime would have been committed had the published video incited violence. But we should be very careful infringing the rules of free speech. It may be possible to prosecute people for what they say in public, it is impossible to control what they think. It may be counter productive to inhibit free speech, no matter how detestable, because without it the thoughts behind it will remain unchallenged. This view may be very unpopular in this politically correct world, where almost every thing that might be offensive is banned, but the right to free speech must be defended, no matter how repulsive the content of that speech might be. This is not a post in support of the perpetrators of this disgusting stunt, for whom I have only contempt, it is a warning in defence of the right of free speech, which has been eroded to almost nothing. It will be interested to see what charges are brought against these people and what precedence it sets for future prosecutions. It was said that sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Has that ever been true?
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