Makes you proud to be British

[southernsoftie]

Well for me that's the answer, whoever adds 'making racism illegal' onto their manifesto is getting my vote!!

Simple- racism is wrong.

So is suppression of free speech. Unfortunately you cannot caveat free speech: "free speech is fine as long as I agree with it".

Racism will always exist and we will always have to live alongside it. It's disappointing - from the point of view of a non-racist - that the BNP have won a platform to spread their message further, but the way around that isn't to ban the BNP. It is to address the root cause of their success:

- Economic downturn always leads to greater success for those of extreme political views

- Disillusionment with the existing political mechanisms

- Anger at the behaviour of our elected representatives

- Lack of a sensible, workable immigration policy

- In areas of high tension as a result of poor integration, an effective community integration policy (very hard to make work without it looking like tokenism/pandering/contrived)

To name a few. Plenty to be getting on with then.

[are we there yet]

So is suppression of free speech. Unfortunately you cannot caveat free speech: "free speech is fine as long as I agree with it".

Racism will always exist and we will always have to live alongside it. It's disappointing - from the point of view of a non-racist - that the BNP have won a platform to spread their message further, but the way around that isn't to ban the BNP. It is to address the root cause of their success:

- Economic downturn always leads to greater success for those of extreme political views

- Disillusionment with the existing political mechanisms

- Anger at the behaviour of our elected representatives

- Lack of a sensible, workable immigration policy

- In areas of high tension as a result of poor integration, an effective community integration policy (very hard to make work without it looking like tokenism/pandering/contrived)

To name a few. Plenty to be getting on with then.

No thanks I'll stick with my original statement that racism is wrong - FACT!!

What you're doing up there is making excuses why people are voting for the BNP, there is no excuse, it is wrong to vote for them. There are lots of problems about, but the answer isn't voting for racists unless you are racist.

We are having this conversation about giving them freedom of speech only because racism is legal, if you think it should be legal then you are racist. If you are not racist then you know how abhorrent racism is, that it does not deserve the privilege of free speech and that it should be made illegal in order to stamp it out.

And lets face it you either are racist or you're not.

[Notlob till i die]

You wouldn't put it past Brown to arrange the little egg throwing incident would you - it would keep Labour issues out of the news for 24 hours after all.

I'm certainly no soppy left winger either, but remember the way the protesters were handled when the Chinese leader was in town, and the recent G20 protesters.

I've read this thread with some interest and have finally decided to add my contribution ....

First paragraph - Are you seriously suggesting this is what happened or are you just trying to start a conspiracy theory, surely it would have suited the government better to have smeared the BNP in some other way.

Second paragraph - "I'm certainly no soppy left winger either" was an entirely superfluous comment given your previous utterances in this thread. It is quite clear you are extremely right wing in your political opinions, the only real question is whether you actually voted for the Conservatives or whether it was in actual fact another right wing party.

[Notlob till i die]

While i had no problem 'confessing' that i voted BNP it would be pointless me trying to justify it on here because no doubt it would just end up in a slanging match

Everything is fine up until the bit "it would be pointless me trying to justify it" change this to "I cannot justify it" and then erase the rest of the sentence and we've got it about spot on.

Any political party that has an exclusion on membership based on the colour of their skin are totally and utterly unacceptable.

[Notlob till i die]

Censorship is a term applicable to government action only, although it has been misused like above.

Where's your evidence for this statement ??
Perhaps there was a headline on the front of The Daily Torygraph that mentioned censorship and government in the same sentence and that's all the evidence you need.

[Witton Park]

I've read this thread with some interest and have finally decided to add my contribution ....

First paragraph - Are you seriously suggesting this is what happened or are you just trying to start a conspiracy theory, surely it would have suited the government better to have smeared the BNP in some other way.

Second paragraph - "I'm certainly no soppy left winger either" was an entirely superfluous comment given your previous utterances in this thread. It is quite clear you are extremely right wing in your political opinions, the only real question is whether you actually voted for the Conservatives or whether it was in actual fact another right wing party.

There are people who seriously suggest that the Twin Towers was allowed to happen - have you seen Fahrenheit 911?
I'm not seriously suggesting anything - it was in the context of the thread and it was seriously suggested on a National radio phone in that I listened to on Wednesday and I thought the guy had a point.
Look at how they leak things when it suits them.

I am not "extremely" right wing at all - I have (always) voted Tory and you shouldn't be so crass as to accuse me of otherwise. I would describe myself as reasonably aligned with Ken Clarke and Heseltine in political terms.

I take people at face value on this forum, the varied views are interesting, I find the debate interesting, and there's certainly no call for your insinuation against me.

[Pilgrim]

Can I ask perhaps a stupid question:

is racism illegal ?

Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Ss 28-32 where certain offences are committed and there exists 'racial aggravation' the severity of the maximum liability is increased.

[Stick]

Well, this is an interesting way to spend an hour! My tuppence worth...

There's more than strong hint from a lot of posters here that democracy's fine - except when people have different views to that which they hold. Who was it that said "Democracy is the worst form of government, but it's better than any of the others"...?

I for one am bloody glad I live in a country where the BNP are allowed to put their case, whether it's "right" or "wrong" as far as I or anyone else is concerned. And I have no problem either with being asked in the street if I want a copy of the Socialist Workers party latest newspaper, or if I want to give my life to Jesus.

What I do have a problem with though is being fearful of being bombed on a tube, kicked in a cell, or pelted with eggs. (Not that any of those have happend to me). Violence and intimidation (outside defensive war - now there's another thread we can start...) has no place whatever it's creed or political colour

All I ever see the main stream politicans say about the BNP is "they're bad, they're racist" without defining either of those terms.

Griffin and his other pal (can't remember the name of the other one who got elected) are both articulate and persausive - whether they're being fraudulent, sparing with the truth or actually open and honest (very doubtful this latter one tho cos they are politicians after all). Did anyone see I think it was Newsnight the other day when Griffin's pal was being interviewed with Margaret Hodge. He ran rings round her. If our so called experienced moderate politicians can't do any better than say they're bad people so stick with us, is it any wonder that the people (mainstream politicians) who have lost the trust confidence and respect of normal folk don't get our vote.

Labour didn't do badly at the elections cos of expenses or because of protest votes. They did badly cos they've proved themselves to be incompetent. What a shame it's taken 10 years for most to realise

(...duck's very quickly awaiting the blairites and brownians to react )

[Witton Park]

Stick - I agree very much with what you have said - must make us a pair of looney right wing extremists according to Notlob!

[Guick Dotto]

While i had no problem 'confessing' that i voted BNP it would be pointless me trying to justify it on here because no doubt it would just end up in a slanging match

Actually RH it would be really interesting to know why you changed from Labour, who purport, at least, to stand for freedom, justice and greater opportunities for all especially the disadvantaged to a party that stands for the exact opposite,. But that's only my opinion. You probably think I've got it all wrong about the BNP. Why don't you explain? I for one won't slag you off.

CL you get really upset about people like you being discriminated against and controlled, but when you have to wear a yellow star on your coat or go to the back of the bus to make way for someone witha better skin tone;: that's discrimination. I am not afraid of Norman Tebbit or Tony Benn but I feel real fear about the BNP. I have a foreign name but all my life I've been just another Tyke. Since the influx of workers from eastern Europe suddenly I'm wondering, will the anger these "British workers" feel be turned against me, my wife and daughter? Stop getting excited about little things, stop showing off, think.