Did they deserve this vitriolic attack?

[Snafu03]

http://www.telegraph....ternet-hate-mail.html

It is usually ill advised to stand up for what you believe in if it upsets the stamping ground of the left. Have this rather naive couple deserved the level of abuse that has come their way?

[woofgang]

No I don't think they did deserve those comments...one should never be nasty to idiots.

[bazwillrun]

"It is usually ill advised to stand up for what you believe in if it upsets the stamping ground of the left"

As is pretty evident on AB in a lot of cases.

[VHG]

Unfortunately we now have a section of society that seems to think it is ok to harrass or insult people via the "faceless" internet medium.

Unfortunately when people set up web sites on places like Facebook to announce someone has died and celebrate their life you get saddos who post nasty messages on there, even if they dont know the person or have never even heard of them.

Here is an example of one who went to prison

http://www.dailymail....ean-Duffy-jailed.html

This cyberbullying is on the increase and has even led to suicide in some cases.

The was a case of a young girl in the USA who posted a rather "cocky" video on YouTube a year or so back and these cyber bullies decided to bring her down a peg or two.

These "bullies" rang the police and said her father was abusing her, they ordered things to be delivered to her house (without her knowledge) and soon she posted another video of herself crying at all the harrassment she was getting. I have to say it was very upsetting.

See more here

[MoonRocker]

yes we are pretty close to Orwells thought Police. Their crime is to not agree with the Liberal/Left standard policy. Free speech and actions are anything but these days. Whatever we think of the subject matter we surely must up hold the right to have opposing views.

[flip_flop]

Why are they idiots?

I couldn't really give a tinker's cuss whether gay marriage is allowed or not because it doesn't even remotely affect me, but if I were opposed to it, would that automatically make me an idiot woofgang?

[tinkerbell23]

They dont deserve that....but i dont agree with them ONE bit.....

X

[Brenden]

Of course they do not deserve it, and yes flip-flop that is exactly what woofgang means and his response applies to me also -

[youngmafbog]

The liberal left do not believe in democracy. If you dont agree with them you are wrong and that is that.

Personally I pity them, how awful being so blinded by your own blinkered obsessions, stuck with reading the Guardian and unable to think outside the box. It is becasue they cant think they are unable to formulate an argument so they rly on name calling and, in extreme cases, total abuse. Noo Labour started this, take for example immigration, anyone who disagreed was labelled a racist. So really you could say yet anther one to Noo labours legacy

[flip_flop]

I see from the report that John Sentamu was subjected to racist abuse because of his opposition to gay marriage.

I don't get that at all. If you don't agree with somebody, by all means argue the point about why you don't agree, but why bring Sentamu's colour into it. What the hell has his colour got to do with anything.

Still, if the charmers who hoped the couple in the link die of cancer are anything to go by, I would suggest woofgang needs to think again about who, exactly, the idiots are.

[Old_Geezer]

It is a dangerous guide for life to not care about anything that doesn't affect you personally. When something does affect you personally then others may take the same attitude, if they are still around to do so. Society needs to come to a concensus about all issues to ensure it is a moral society.

[anotheoldgit]

Why is it ill advised to stand up for what you believe in if it upsets the stamping ground of the left?

Who the hell are they, stand up to them that's my policy, they don't scare me.

It's time we captured back some of that stomping ground.

[joko]

the sheer nastiness is a bit over the top - but then they started the 'hate' campaigning by collecting signatures and going to number 10 to deliver it "giftwrapped", about a subject that really is none of their business - so they shouldnt be surprised when it bites them on the arse.

to be so vehement about something that doesnt even affect them - in such a smug, preachy way, shows that they are clearly driven by anger and hate.

they are entitled to their opinion,... and so are all the people that furiously gave theirs.... can dish it out but cant take it.

their 'pretend' stance of just opening an innocent debate is utter nonsense... they are backtracking, and trying to play the innocent, naive and wounded souls just trying to do good - just because they didnt swear or make threats does not make what they have done 'innocent'

really they are hateful brainwashed homophobes ... and i feel not one ounce of pity for them

[joko]

OG... its one thing to 'care' about things that dont affect you... but to go to these levels to hurt and offend millions of people, just to oppose something that is not really of your business, and will affect your life not one iota, is quite another

[ummmm]

No, no one deserves that.

[Brenden]

If anyone is being driving by hate and anger joko it is you going by your response Anybody can campaign against something they believe is wrong and present their petition to No.10. Get over the fact that there are billions of people in this world who are against same sex marriage.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah but that is a different issue.

Personally I'd no desire to go read the hate news item but in the interests of replying I just have, skimmed it, and can see nothing wrong in handing in a petition on something that is objected to. Petitions are handed in regularly.

I take it you mean that you don't consider it your business because you have no strong feelings either way on the matter ? In which case I understand the stance. But generally speaking I believe everyone's opinion should be considered for each issue, even the abstainers.

[Brenden]

"driven" by hate and anger.

[Davethedog]

I don't get this, the ron may have been totaly OTT. But these people are bigots, they were the ones who courted the publicity and theres an adverse reaction so now there stunned.

Why are these comments left wing? Do you not think there are gay right wingers who would object to this.

The use of this for political ends suits a lot of people but to label it as left, right, liberal, center, communist or facist is wrong. The objections came from Gay people, thier supporters and those of us who believe that we live in a free, democratic society, where as long as no laws are broken we should all share the same freedoms, and not allow a bigoted minority to impose their will.

I don't care, who marrys whom and if it doesn't concern you neither should you or will you be happy when someone tells you you can't marry a scot or a yank, because that what you are talking about, total infringment of civil liberties, by a minority and because they are religius we are supposed to allow it.

[ummmm]

Just because someone has a different opinion to you that doesn't give you the right to send them hate messages.