Really?! Man-arrested-over-Tom-Adeyemi-racism-claim

[RevDisk]

For calling him a black bastard?  Yes.

In fairness, to each their own. I would not want to live in a country where unpopular thoughts came with a jail sentence. Actions, I can understand. But speech and thoughts? I do not like racists. I think the ideology of racism, regardless of the skin color of the person that is racist, is usually pretty stupid. That said, people should be allowed to have an opinion without the threat of government violence.

Racism by itself will never be as destructive or hostile to a nation as those who want to control the thoughts and opinions of the citizenry through threat of violence. Now if folks want to enforce their ideology through threat or exercise of violence, then yes, send in the jackboots to give them a proper stomping.

[Stand_watie]

Does nobody else see the irony?  Yelling "You f***ing black b**tard!" is offensive, but "You f***ing b**tard!" is not.  (presumably the player is black)

What if it was a black guy calling him a "f'ing white bastard", wouldn't that be even worse yet? They could lock the guy up for "racism", "slander" AND "race traitorism". Orwell's 1984 is SO 1984 in the "progressive" parts of the 1st world now.

[Perd Hapley]

fistful, that is similar to the argument that lets Lenin, Stalin, and Mao somehow off the hook or lesser demons relative to Hitler, who killed far fewer.  I don't buy it.

Racism, shmacism.  It is not the racism part of genocide that is beyond the pale, it is the mass-murdering part.  I can live next door to someone who despises me for my race, but leaves me & mine be.  OTOH, I can not abide someone who would harm me or mine, no matter how noble their intentions.

I think you may be interpreting my statement differently than I intended. I wasn't saying that Hitler is worse than Stalin, or at least I don't think I was.

So confused.   

[roo_ster]

I think you may be interpreting my statement differently than I intended. I wasn't saying that Hitler is worse than Stalin, or at least I don't think I was.

So confused.   

It is past midnight, so my cognitive processes are lagging.  I was trying to call the distinction between genocide and mass murder of equivalent scale a bunch of bunk.

[lupinus]

For calling him a black bastard?  Yes.

Oh for the love of

Ridicule? Sure. Arrested? WTF.

[Jamisjockey]

In fairness, to each their own. I would not want to live in a country where unpopular thoughts came with a jail sentence. Actions, I can understand. But speech and thoughts? I do not like racists. I think the ideology of racism, regardless of the skin color of the person that is racist, is usually pretty stupid. That said, people should be allowed to have an opinion without the threat of government violence.

Racism by itself will never be as destructive or hostile to a nation as those who want to control the thoughts and opinions of the citizenry through threat of violence. Now if folks want to enforce their ideology through threat or exercise of violence, then yes, send in the jackboots to give them a proper stomping.

We've already passed that tipping point in our own country, where we've lost the freedom of association through the civil rights act. 
I'd be unsurprised if something similar were to occur here regarding verbal racial slurs within the next few years.

[HankB]

. . . I'd be unsurprised if something similar were to occur here regarding verbal racial slurs within the next few years.

I look forward to enforcement against members of the same demographic who use "The N Word" in reference to one another.

[Jamisjockey]

I look forward to enforcement against members of the same demographic who use "The N Word" in reference to one another.

Hate crime legislation is already enforced unfairly.  Hate speech restrictions will be as well.
Anyone think for a second the DOJ bothered to look into the attacks at the WI state fair last summer?

[Ben]

Hate crime legislation is already enforced unfairly.  Hate speech restrictions will be as well.
Anyone think for a second the DOJ bothered to look into the attacks at the WI state fair last summer?

Hate crime is the perfect example of legislation that has slipped in that people simply become "accustomed" to. Obviously not the average person on APS, but certainly the average American talks about "hate crime" like it's a real thing that makes sense.

As we all know, if your are stabbed to death, you are less dead if you are one color, gender, or religion versus another. The punishment for the killer should be less (or more) if they are of one color, gender, or religion versus another.

[Perd Hapley]

Hate crime legislation is already enforced unfairly.  Hate speech restrictions will be as well.
Anyone think for a second the DOJ bothered to look into the attacks at the WI state fair last summer?

Black Panther Poll Patrol, anyone?

I'm all in support of hate crime laws, myself. Now, we just need laws against greed crime, stupid crime, defending-my-rep crime, etc.

[Jamisjockey]

Black Panther Poll Patrol, anyone?

I'm all in support of hate crime laws, myself. Now, we just need laws against greed crime, stupid crime, defending-my-rep crime, etc.

Are not all crimes motivated by hate, greed, stupidity, etc?
Placing emotional motive behind a crime creates thought crime. 

[Perd Hapley]

Yeah, we should outlaw thought crimes, too. If only people understood the dangers of thought. Let's end thought in our lifetime. 

[TommyGunn]

Yeah, we should outlaw thought crimes, too. If only people understood the dangers of thought. Let's end thought in our lifetime.  

The democrats are working hard on this one .......  

[RevDisk]

The democrats are working hard on this one .......  

Ayep. I know!  They're working as hard as the Republicans!

[TommyGunn]

Ayep. I know!  They're working as hard as the Republicans!

[roo_ster]

Ayep. I know!  They're working as hard as the Republicans!

Its a fair cop.

Can't recall where I read it, but the author stated something to the effect of, "If you value civil rights, vote Republican.  They get much more scrutiny on this issue by the press and civil rights organizations than Democrats do."

Case in point: GWB vs BHO.

GWB captures suspected terrorists & stuffs them in Guantanimo and is a "Bushitler" dictator.  BHO blows dozens of suspected terrorists away (and their families) with drone attacks and, <crickets_chirping>.

Were I a suspected terrorist, I'd sure rather have a stint in jail andthen be released to continue my terrorist ways than be blown to terror-bits by Hellfire missiles.

[zxcvbob]

"Bu*expletive deleted*ler" ?  (the filters seem to have no respect for context or lack-of-whitespace)     Or did you do that for comedic effect?

[TommyGunn]

Its a fair cop.

Can't recall where I read it, but the author stated something to the effect of, "If you value civil rights, vote Republican.  They get much more scrutiny on this issue by the press and civil rights organizations than Democrats do."

Case in point: GWB vs BHO.

GWB captures suspected terrorists & stuffs them in Guantanimo and is a "Bu*expletive deleted*ler" dictator.  BHO blows dozens of suspected terrorists away (and their families) with drone attacks and, <crickets_chirping>.

Were I a suspected terrorist, I'd sure rather have a stint in jail andthen be released to continue my terrorist ways than be blown to terror-bits by Hellfire missiles.

   Maybe we should give "suspected terrorists" a stern lecture and a side of bacon ..........

[Boomhauer]

If you value civil rights, vote Republican

Democrats were the ones busy violating civil rights of blacks back in the '50s and '60s (yet the blacks now bow down to them).

Democrats were the ones that threatened to kill my grandmother because she was one founders of the Republican Women's party in my town

The Redshirts that beheaded my grandfather back during their reign of terror because he wouldn't join them were Democrats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Shirts_%28Southern_United_States%29

A Democrat president set up concentration camps in the United States and imprisoned US citizens just because they were of Japanese descent.

[roo_ster]

"Bu*expletive deleted*ler" ?  (the filters seem to have no respect for context or lack-of-whitespace)     Or did you do that for comedic effect?

No, thank the naughty word filter for that one.