Political censorship by old Bill.

[Etypephil]

Driver forced by Essex Police to remove anti Brexit slogan:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-50544243

Whilst I don’t agree with the sentiment expressed by the sticker, the cop concerned should be fired for gross misconduct and prosecuted for misconduct in public office, IMO.

[Etypephil]

RM said:

Etypephil said:

Driver forced by Essex Police to remove anti Brexit slogan:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-50544243

Whilst I don’t agree with the sentiment expressed by the sticker, the cop concerned should be fired for gross misconduct and prosecuted for misconduct in public office, IMO.

Read the article again. The driver was asked to remove the word bks. Nothing to do with politics or Brexit.

zarjaz1991 said:

It doesn't take a genius to work this one out.

It's the word they objected to, not the slogan. Some people may consider it offensive.

Me, I'll jump all over the police at the slightest whiff of an opportunity, but here I think they were correct.

From the BBC article:

"In November 1977, Nottingham Magistrates' Court ruled "bks" was not an obscene word in the case of a record store manager who had been arrested for displaying the Sex Pistols' debut album Never Mind The bks, Here's The Sex Pistols."

[Etypephil]

Drumroll said:

Wouldn't call it political censorship at all. Whist a magistrate may have decided b0ll0cks is not an offensive word, it doesn't mean some do not find it offensive.

I find many things (including the slogan in question) offensive, but that doesn't mean that a cop has the right to put a stop to them.

[Etypephil]

Fatball said:

The cop was way over the top but then so is the OP wanting him fired and prosecuted. Shows that it’s easily done.

We are entitled to expect good judgement from cops; this one unnecessarily endangered himself and others, and pretended to have legal power to get his own way, thus is not fit for the position, and has acted illegally.

bluezedd said:

I would have liked to remain in the EU, and I'm not offended by words like that, but the word choice instantly makes me think they're a bit thick.

I am certainly not offended by the word, perhaps by the arrogance behind the expression, but the fact that I (or the cop, or anyone else) may dislike a viewpoint, does not mean that it may not be expressed. Of course the words makes them seem a bit thick; they form a Liberal Delusional Party slogan, and they are anti Brexit.

[Etypephil]

Breadvan72 said:

Pothole, I am not a prosecutor, but I am from time to time a civil liberties lawyer.

The fact that you write in a book that a crime has occurred does not make it so. Fortunately, we still have courts to defend civil liberties against authoritarian minded governments, and the increasingly authoritarian minded police.

[Etypephil]

meatballs said:

Standing up worked well for milkround...

Better to comply and complain afterwards than risk arrest, or the officer not liking your tone and finding another issue to screw you over with.

This is why in the original post I stated that the cop should be fired and prosecuted; to set an example to, what I trust, is the minority who believe that their word is law, and that they must be obeyed without question.

[Etypephil]

Red 4 said:

Etypephil said:

meatballs said:

Standing up worked well for milkround...

Better to comply and complain afterwards than risk arrest, or the officer not liking your tone and finding another issue to screw you over with.

This is why in the original post I stated that the cop should be fired and prosecuted; to set an example to, what I trust, is the minority who believe that their word is law, and that they must be obeyed without question.

The officer should be sacked and prosecuted for making someone remove a slogan from their car ?

Do you think that is proportionate ?

If he's in the wrong perhaps an apology and retraining/ brushing up on the law would be more appropriate ...

Yes, I do; if we are expected to have respect for the law, then the law and its representatives must earn it, not demand it. Ours cops should not behave as those on American TV programmes, and we do not need those whose judgement is so poor that they believe bullying the public is acceptable.

[Etypephil]

Pothole said:

Actually, we need every single one of them right now.

What we need is quality, not quantity.

[Etypephil]

Pothole said:

I assume you've got a plan...

Without wishing to write an essay, perhaps cops should be intelligent, well educated, respectable members of society, with a desire to protect and serve the public, and sufficient self discipline not to allow personal prejudice to affect their duties. I believe that the vast majority still are, but the few disreputable idiots make life more difficult for the former, and should be dumped when caught out, prosecuted if they have broken the law, not get away with it, or be quietly pensioned off.