Hate Crimes, Free Speech and Property Rights

Politicians in Britain love to swan about talking about how we have “freedom of speech” in Britain. That it's a right that we in these isles cherish. Disturbingly a great deal of the public believe in this myth – and let's be clear, free speech in Britain is a myth. But how could that be? Well I can give you two words that prove we have no free speech in Britain - 'hate crime'.

Before I go any further let's just be clear, I'm talking about hate crimes that only involve words and not actual violence. Initiating force for no reason against someone is inexcusable. I'm talking in this article about verbal or written abuse only.

For me freedom of speech means exactly that, the freedom to say whatever you like, regardless of who gets offended. In the distance I can hear you crying “But what about offending ethnic minorities and women and gay people and everyone else on the huge 'hate crime' list?” Well, free speech goes both ways don't cha know. If someone offends you with their free speech then your completely free to defend yourself and explain why they're a fucking idiot with your own free speech! There's no need to go crying to the authorities like some child in a playground, running to find a teacher because someone said mean things to you. But this becomes even more troubling when we find that property rights become affected by this also.
 

Many people in Britain will remember the case of the Christian couple in 2012 who owned a B&B in Berkshire. They refused a gay couple a double room in their establishment and what happened? Well the gay couple were awarded £1,800 each in court for “injury to feelings”. This hasn't happened just once either the Bull's who ran a B&B in Cornwall also had a similar experience and even lost a supreme court battle and had their lives ruined. Now, anyone who has read my writing (fiction and non-fiction) will find it strange that I'm defending Christians because I make no secret of the fact that I am not a Christian whatsoever. I also have no problem with homosexuality, I personally don't care what consenting adults do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. What disturbs me when thinking about this is that the B&B owners in question's property rights were being trampled on by the state. The state should respect property rights – end of story. Those owners have the right to have whoever they want under their terms in their own property. Look, if my wife and I went to a B&B run by a gay couple who said we couldn't have a double room because we're straight and they don't like that then I would be like fine, fuck you then, if you're going to be intolerant of my lifestyle I'll go stay somewhere else where I'm wanted. I wouldn't feel the need to go crying to Daddy government to make it all better in the form of a cash payment. That's what bothers me, if the gay couples had like posted online or whatever (using their free speech) about how bullshit it was that they weren't wanted as guests just because they're gay then I would say that there's nothing wrong with that. It's the fact that they had to go to the state whining that gets me.

Those B&B owners are ignorant in my opinion. I don't see how it's their business how other people live, however property rights are important and must be respected. We've become accustomed to the state wading in and telling people what they can and can't do on their own property – like the smoking ban. It's none of the states business if people smoke or not in someone's establishment, that should be up to the owner.

This is becoming very dangerous. The state has no business telling you what you can and can't say and what you can and can't do on your property – that's freedom folks (not enough British people understand that tricky freedom word). Unless of course we want Britain to descend into an Orwellian shit-hole because whether you think I'm overreacting or not the facts are the facts. Submit to state control over your words and property or grow the fuck up and try freedom because some of us don't want to be controlled.

Greening Out - Libertarian, Podcasts, Writings and News
http://www.greeningoutpodcast.co.uk


Links

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/27/christian-bnb-gay-couple_n_4348385.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19991266
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2424983/Christian-B-B-owners-refused-gay-couple-close-business.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25119158