Posted on 09/03/2025 10:51:36 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
LONDON (AP) — The arrest of comedy writer Graham Linehan in Britain over social media posts about transgender people has sparked a debate about freedom of speech and its limits.
Supporters of Linehan say U.K. laws are stifling legitimate comment and creating what “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling –- like Linehan, a critic of trans activism — called “totalitarianism.”
Others argue that online abuse and hate speech have real-world impact and police have a duty to take it seriously. London’s police chief said ambiguities in the law had left officers “in an impossible position.”
Arrested at the airport
Linehan, the co-creator of beloved 1990s sitcom “Father Ted” and other shows including “The IT Crowd,” says he was detained by five armed police officers on Monday at Heathrow Airport as he returned from Arizona.
Linehan, who has been outspoken in his assertions that trans women are men, said on X in April that trans women were violent criminals if they used women-only facilities. He advocated people “punch” them if calling police and other measures failed to stop them.
The post came days after the head of the U.K’s Equality and Human Rights Commission said transgender women would be excluded from women-only spaces such as toilets, single-sex hospital wards and sports teams. The decision followed a ruling by Britain’s highest court that the terms “woman” and “man” refer to biological sex for antidiscrimination purposes.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I am glad that Linehan’s arrest is sparking debate. But its outrageous that there was no debate when average people were being jailed for forwarding Tweets. The little people can be thrown in jail and the media does not care.
There should be no debate about what is posted unless violence in advocated. Same goes for FreeRepublic.
But its outrageous that there was no debate when average people were being jailed
I’m surprised that there is any debate since people in the U.K. are routinely harassed and or arrested for expressing their views on current events. Arrests are made for displaying the UK and England flags.
If you cannot tweet what Graham tweeted than you are not living in a free country.
If a government uses massive overkill to put fear into you, just so you understand you can be squashed like a bug, you are not living in a free country. (yes this includes being perp walked at 5am by a swat team when a phone call would have been sufficient to get you to come in.)
If geographically displaced persons are flooding your city, and it is being subsidized by your tax dollars, perhaps your elections are rigged
If you live in a country where four right-wing AfD candidates for a Sept. 14 election just died you may not live in a free country.
If you live in a country where your senators, representatives and federal judges have dual citizenship, or are from foreign countries and this is encouraged ?
It shouldn’t have any limits.
England is in the middle of a takeover by Mohammedans. England and Germany and France have reached the point where to avoid a Mohammedan takeover or to reverse one underway all their Moslems would have to be expelled or otherwise eliminated or forcibly converted on pain of death. That, of course does not actually convert them in thei hearts but forcing them into a Christian Religion would produce mostly Christians or seculars in two or three generations. Unfortunately westerners are unable to contemplate much past next Wednesday. Noe, In England it is up to the mobs to save England.
Free speech with limits is not really free, is it?
I don’t know if you’re aware of this but somehow or another, apparently within the last few weeks England has now become either some form of a US territory or a de facto state.
Nigel Farage, their ‘’conservative’’ Reform Party leader is testifying before Congress today about ‘’free speech’’ in the UK and every Brit with breath and a pulse seems to feel we’ve made them citizens or something.
It’s bizarre. And to me a little infuriating.
Some historical background...The Magna Carta (Great Charter) was originally issued in 1216 then updated a few times.
Excerpting from an online article..."Its principles influenced the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, emphasizing individual liberties and limiting government power."
One wonders if our British Cousins might examine closely our Constitution and Bill of Rights (especially the First and Second Amendments) and pull together (peacefully, of course) to develop a Magna Carta Duo?
They should at least be allowed to observe and describe what they see and to advocate for a return to greater individual freedoms.
“When those who produce must seek the permission to do so from those who produce nothing, your society is in decline. When the laws that are meant to protect you from the powerful protect the powerful from you, your society is in decline’’.- Ayn Rand.
It’s their problem. The Brits can solve their own problems. They create them after all.
I resent the British trying to make their problems ours.
We bailed them out of two world wars and now they're of the mind that when they do something stupid, like elect a former WEF banker, human rights lawyer and socialist (Starmer) with the predictable dire results it some how becomes OUR problem. I didn't know this was some on going obligation we had to do for Britain.
Coming to an English speaking country near you. Unless we put a lid on it soon.
That is interesting.
It’s their problem. The Brits can solve their own problems.
Freedom of speech used to be a thing in the U.K. and apparently it is no longer so. Remember the Biden’s speech czar, the one sang songs? Her type is putting English people in gaol for showing discomfort with the illegal invasion of the UK. Complain about an illegal raping your daughter, off you go.
It will be interesting to see how and when the English will shake the madness off.
While you and I agree that Starmer is a far lefty globalist, that does not alter the fact that (warts and all) the Brits are still our "cousins". (Think language, culture, traditions, religion and etc.)
The Magna Carta did not grant any rights or privileges to the common man only the wealthy, the nobility and the Church in Britain so it’s a mistake to say it’s a ‘’template’’ for our Constitution which clearly states “All men are created equal’’ As to this ‘’cousin’’ routine and this ‘’special relationship ‘’ refrain they go on about, no.
We ended that ‘’relationship 250 years ago and underlined the point in 1812. We bailed them out in two world wars, which involved two generations of my family. Our debt to these people is done.
There is no clause, law or amendment in our founding documents that requires a constant generational obligation to Britain. Far as I’m concerned the only thing they do right are tv crime dramas and comedies.
And from Nerdrotic on Youtube...
Linehan's condition for bail: He can't go on X. They've gagged him.
Meanwhile, crickets from Hollyweird, including the late night guys...
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