Je Suis Billy Boy - Free Speech in the UK

[xjsdriver]

Thorodin said:

Just for the record, Fenian was not a derogatory word for anything. It was a name chosen especially for the organisation known as The Fenian Brotherhood by that organisation's founder in America. It was the forerunner of the IRA. The depth of feeling on both sides of this is well enough known and a degree of discretion is possibly a good thing. That isn't censorship, it's respect born of common sense.

The word Fenian itself is not derogatory, but that does not mean that it cannot be used in a derogatory fashion. HTH

[jimmyjimjim]

Hugo a Gogo said:

4 months jail for signing a song is ludicrous, however odious you find the words

Could be worse, could be three years.

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_songs

[AJS-]

Thorodin said:

If the protestors and those feigning shock and awe at the penalty stop to consider the cause of a rampage of communal death and destruction might be a just and right thing to legislate against, and in their own social interest, it might dawn that democracy is many things. One is that it is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the decision.

What about the death and destruction "caused" by our infidel ways? Or by being the wrong ethnicity, or looking out of place?

The blame for rampage and destruction lies squarely with those rampaging and destroying, not someone singing a song.

[Mojocvh]

xjsdriver said:

Mojocvh said:

xjsdriver said:

JensenA said:

Thorodin said:

Don't know what the fuss is about. The 'song' wasn't. A song, that is. In the not too distant past it was a rallying cry to arms, a reveille, a clarion call to sectarian murders and torture. In the context of which this 'offence' took place it was designed to provoke a violent reaction from opposing 'fans' and under the law was prohibited. Relations between religious sects (however phoney that conflict may be) are again under great stress and people are running scared about a resurgence of previous social breakdown.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to and these mindless moronic football fans are no exception. Such examples of naked tribalism are thankfully no longer tolerated and football, if there are any 'sporting' people left in the game, will the better for it when such people are banned. If the first line contained any reference to ethnic origin there wouldn't have been any doubt about it being disgraceful. The freedom to associate and express oneself carries with it that other blessing - responsibility.

You're missing the point. The point is that those in power, the authorities, are saying that singing a song that is 'politically incorrect' is a worse crime than neglecting a child.

Jensen, I think it is you that is missing the point, one of the lines in the song has the line, we're up to our knees in Fenian (used by Rangers fans as a derogatory term for Roman Catholics) blood.
Now replace Fenian for derogatory term for Chinese, or derogatory term for Pakistani, or derogatory term for a black person, derogatory term for a Jewish person - are you getting the bigger picture now? It is simply not acceptable. Racial and religious persecution or abuse is vile and shouldn't be tolerated in a modern civilised society. I hope he appeals and gets his sentence doubled.

As usual along you come with your nutcase views.

Nothing nutcase about my views, this goes way beyond what is politically correct or otherwise, it is a blight on Scotland. The SFA have had to take action against Rangers FC several times regarding the conduct of their "fans". It is a small minority of small minded bigoted idiots who ruin Rangers good name. It got to the stage where Rangers FC were saying we've done what we can to stop the bigots, so a decision was made to be more pro-active in the courts to stamp out the sectarian chants and singing, which has led to deaths (usually by stabbings).
It is my guess you don't live in Scotland and may not appreciate how serious the situation had become. Or if you do live in Scotland, then you are either totally blind to what's been going on, or are simply a vile apologist for such disgusting behaviour.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2523313/Celtic-fined-42-000-Green-Brigade-fans-political-banners-AC-Milan-clash.html

^^^just to keep up with the old firm theme^^^.....but hey just you crack on Mr "Professionally Offended"


PS In fact I'm going to give you a piece of advice.

LOGOUT.

Then, whenever you read something that floats your boat [or boils your p##s] you have a moment to ponder, prior to logging in, that actually, it doesn't really matter what feel you need to say because in fact IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.

gettit?

Edited by Mojocvh on Tuesday 17th March 03:53

[McWigglebum4th]

In jail for singing a song?

Then surely i should also be banged up for a considerable period of time for my anti scottish views

[williamp]

If they knew the lyrics if La Marseillaise, everyone singing it would havd to be arrested!

[Esseesse]

Ah, the authoritarian left strikes. Misplaced Scottish nationalists need to stop voting for the SNP.

[jogon]

It would be good to hear at the next Celtic v Rangers game both sides sing the song as loud as they can and stick two fingers up at this nonsense.

[Digga]

williamp said:

If they knew the lyrics if La Marseillaise, everyone singing it would havd to be arrested!

He he. Very true.

Learned it by heart as a kid for a school play about the revolution and our teacher ensured that we did not merely learn it parrot fashion, but also understand each word and the overall meaning. It is a cracking anthem - one you can really belt-out with vigour and much more fun than our own British dirge.

[Crush]

The best option is to ban football to prevent anything like this happening again.

[dabofoppo]

Are there any football clubs in England with similar problems to rangers and Celtic? For what its worth I think prison time for singing a songs a tad harsh but I doubt that it was this individuals first offence although I do mostly think that because he was singing this song in the first place.

[Hugo a Gogo]

I went to the England Scotland game at Wembley a while ago, a fat bloke (in fact, this renowned idiot http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/miscellaneous/60581... was singing it all through the first half, directed at the Scots fans

Police and stewards ignored it

[Wrathalanche]

Article said:

But the only ‘circumstances’ that matter are these: a football stadium is not real life. In that heated and, yes, fun moment of footballing rivalry, people shout and sing stuff they would never shout or sing in a Tesco’s on a Wednesday afternoon

I have my suspicions the author might not have actually spent that much time in Glasgow...

[ehonda]

Football fan, my arse.
He's a hooligan who went looking for trouble and found it.

[glazbagun]

jogon said:

It would be good to hear at the next Celtic v Rangers game both sides sing the song as loud as they can and stick two fingers up at this nonsense.

Yes that would be good. So would a commercially viable fusion reactor.

[Thorodin]

Repeated cries of It Was Only A Song just won't wash I'm afraid. The underlying fact is, and why the sentence was handed down, because it was stupidly intended to arouse sectarian upheaval in a situation where such matters have occurred countless times before. That, in itself, is against the law. It doesn't need qualifying, it stands as it is.

I wonder if those questioning it have ever been to a Rangers/Celtic match and seen and heard the 'banter'. It's very obvious what is happening and it's been going on for years. These idiots are there for the trouble only and revel in it while hiding in plain sight. The words of that anthem have been used for many years in the long running dispute, knowingly to inflame retaliation and provoke a return challenge. There are many on both sides who deplore such behaviour and see it for what it is - sectarian hatred and mutual prejudice. No place in modern Britain.

Objecting to this is not the fashionable 'taking professional offence'. It's not 'Lefty', 'PC' or any other convenient misnomer. It doesn't identify the objector's religion, nationality or ethnic origin. It's a realisation that there are some weeds among the flowers, they need rooting out and shown how to behave.

[WinstonWolf]

Thorodin said:

Repeated cries of It Was Only A Song just won't wash I'm afraid. The underlying fact is, and why the sentence was handed down, because it was stupidly intended to arouse sectarian upheaval in a situation where such matters have occurred countless times before. That, in itself, is against the law. It doesn't need qualifying, it stands as it is.

I wonder if those questioning it have ever been to a Rangers/Celtic match and seen and heard the 'banter'. It's very obvious what is happening and it's been going on for years. These idiots are there for the trouble only and revel in it while hiding in plain sight. The words of that anthem have been used for many years in the long running dispute, knowingly to inflame retaliation and provoke a return challenge. There are many on both sides who deplore such behaviour and see it for what it is - sectarian hatred and mutual prejudice. No place in modern Britain.

Objecting to this is not the fashionable 'taking professional offence'. It's not 'Lefty', 'PC' or any other convenient misnomer. It doesn't identify the objector's religion, nationality or ethnic origin. It's a realisation that there are some weeds among the flowers, they need rooting out and shown how to behave.

fk me, I'm glad you don't have any authority...

Say that back to yourself, listen to it and think where it can lead.

"That one in the spotlight, he doesn't look right! Get him up against the wall!"

[Hugo a Gogo]

A massive proportion of football chants are designed to annoy the opposition

maybe jail everyone for singing anything other than 'well played chaps, and a round of applause for the plucky losers'

are you saying Celtic fans are such uncontrollable beasts that they can't help stabbing someone after hearing those words? or they will unleash an 'aggressive blessing' symbol, which will in turn enrage the previously peaceful Rangers beasts into murder?

[threespires]

ehonda said:

Football fan, my arse.
He's a hooligan who went looking for trouble and found it.

Nail on head firmly hit.

[McWigglebum4th]

Thorodin said:

It's a realisation that there are some weeds among the flowers, they need rooting out and shown how to behave.

Where do we stop?

As it isn't very far from jailing people singing songs at a football match to jailing those that support unpopular political views