Obscene

I'd like to start off by apologising to my 'readers' who are not from the UK. Today's topic does not concern you if you're not in the UK at the moment, and it may not interest you either. Anyone who reads a newspaper or watches the news should already be familiar with today's topic, the topic of "free speech."

Walking through campus on my way to a lecture, I often stop by the shop to pick up the day's paper. What do i see on the headlines? The Oxford Union Free Speech debate. It appears that Oxford university is supposed to hold some sort of panel/debate on free speech, and among guests such as Defence Secretary Des Browne, and TV presenter June Sarpong, BNP leader Nick Griffin and "Holocaust Denier" David Irving were also invited. The country quite literally rose up in uproar when they heard. I say the 'country', it's mainly anti-fascists, students (surprise, surprise) and Trade Union members (Wtf?).

Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but this debate is about free speech. key word there being free. Now, you may not like someone's view, and in decent society it may be considered 'obscene', but to rise up just because they are going to a free speech debate is, I must say, the biggest waste of time ever. Ever ever. Do you know what the funniest thing about this is? One of their biggest fears is that right-wing supporters may visit the town to support their 'idols'. Run for the fricking hills!! Right-wing supporters are coming to town. Ahhhhhh. Apparently the student's safety are at stake! Oh no! They may be converted!

Sarcasm off. In all seriousness, the Oxford union has a very valid point. A debate on free speech has to deal with extremism, and what way to do then to invite "extremists". Now, I'm not denying that, for all intensive purposes, the BNP are a bunch of racists. And not in the "boooo Nazi!" sense, I mean in the literal sense that they discriminate based on ethnicity. If your not British (and possibly white, although I'm curious to how they behave towards second generation ethnics) then you're out. Fair enough, I'm not voting for you. But David Irving? granted he has racist and pro-Nazi sentiments, but all he really did was write a book, a "well-researched" book according to many reputable historians. Hardly extreme if you ask me. And hardly something to cry about. He slants historical facts to promote a pro-Nazi view? So do anti-Nazi views. History is written by the winners, and then re-written according to bias.

The point of this near-rant? Don't be a hypocrite. I mean the Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission even spoke out against this. Now THAT is obscene. If you're going to have a debate on free speech, then do it properly, don't pussy foot around the contentious issues like babies. So some students may be converted, big deal. we are a very fallible breed, we'll grow out of it.

Disclaimer: No i do not hold any racists or pro-Nazi sentiments, my girlfriend is second-generation Indian for crying out loud.

P.s I would also like to apologise for not posting in nearly a month, it's gone quicker then I thought it would. I'll try to let it happen again.