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jt's avatar

Hello Northumberland! So good to "see" Ya again this Friday. Another fine roundup.

I was very sad to hear the story of Ritchie Herron. It's a crying shame he didn't get the treatment he needed. What he experienced was conversion therapy to change him from a gay man to a heterosexual female. That's what conversion therapy is in too many cases, this so-called "gender affirming care."

But I was glad to hear the case came out okay for James Esses. You're lucky over there than "gender critical" views are protected speech.

And I gotta say: That is a splendid view of Paddy and his surrounds. Marvelous walk You go on, Michelle. I'm glad to hear the bees are doing well.

TY, as always Michelle. Appreciate it.

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Michelle Styles's avatar

Ritchie Herron is so sad. I know people who know him. There is a problem with homophobia in the North East in certain areas. And yes, I do agree 'gender-affirming care' can be conversion therapy in some cases.

I was pleased for James Esses. I was really uncertain what was going with the whole protected belief thing but on balance it was a game changer. It was declared a belief worthy to be held in a democratic society. It is now getting the employers up to speed. Ursula Doyle cleared the first hurdle in her claim against Hatchette this week -- it was ruled that the trans policy was ongoing and so she was not out of time to bring her claim.

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jt's avatar

TY for writing. That is good news about Ursula Doyle.

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Running Burning Man's avatar

Yikes! Remind me not to come to Britain anytime soon. Honeymooned in London, but not likely to return.

This: "two counts of collection of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism". Cops: You have "information" ma'am and thus I charge you with a crime! You might make something bad out of that "information". Subject: Its the Richard Rhodes book "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" a best seller. Brit cop: And you might just try to make a bomb!! Of to the pokey with ya, lassie!

Incitement needs some temporal element. Like imminence. As in imminent lawless action. And anyway it in to a crime to shout "fire" in a crowded theater. That itself is not a crime. The fact that if believed people stampede and be injured might subject the speaker to civil liability (or possibly some sort of criminal negligence), but merely shouting it is not a crime. At least not in the good ol' USA, where, thankfully and unlike England that disaster that is Continental Europe, we have a First Amendment right of expression, press, religion, etc.

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Michelle Styles's avatar

The UK also has a lot of protection. You need to remember that 1. they did try to burn down a migrant hotel with people in it and 2. there were supposedly 100 other violent protests planned.

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Running Burning Man's avatar

I guess I struck a nerve? No problem with prosecution for actual or attempted crime. It’s the subjective (in the mind of government, especially cops and prosecutors who often seek scalps for good press) nature of the “information” criteria. As to #2, “supposedly” ought to give you pause about what the govt wants you to believe while they intimidate the populace.

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Michelle Styles's avatar

Should also say the more worrying aspect were the two tourists who were stabbed in Leicester Square in broad daylight. There has been a huge failure in mental health provision, something which was laid bare by the report into the Nottingham killings.

And it is funny -- my husband always go on about officious everything is in the US with its rules and ordinances and having to show your driver's license. because of WW2, there is no such thing as identity cards in the UK.

One of the big things right now is not to get a blasphemy law by the back door -- having spent so long ensuring that there is freedom of religion (even though there is a state religion). Unintended consequences. Actually because of the state religion, Roman Catholic and Jewish schools are state funded...You do get celebrations and prayers in schools.

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Running Burning Man's avatar

Well, your guy seems a bit misinformed about officious attitudes here. We do have driver’s licenses here. So does Britain. Much of the world requires some sort of ID to vote. Not in the US, however. You don’t actually need to show a drivers license for anything. You might need to identify yourself to a cop detaining you but unless you are driving a vehicle not a license. You need a license or passport to board a plane here. I trust some sort of identification is needed in Britain at least if flying to the US ….

Recent statements from officials in England about arresting folks in the US for their social media posts or threatening to arrest Musk because he might “amplify” hate or some other disapproved ideas seems more the arrogance of officious thinking to us looking at Britain. And don’t get me started on the crackpot bureaucrats in Brussels like Breton.

There is a genuinely evil effort in much of Western government to censor speech on notions such as mis- dis- and malformation. Or “hate”. It is an adjunct of the cancel culture of the Left. I know you are aware of this in Your defense Rowling and other authors.

What enables that censorship is vague, subjective rules of behavior that keep folks intimidated. Laws that are not clear or that enable subjective enforcement are of a piece with that sort of social control.

But, of course we are citizens here, not subjects so I suppose we have a different sense here of the relationship between the rulers and the ruled. More than a common language separates us I guess.

I suppose this topic struck a nerve of my own. lol.

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