Will labour only be happy when we have been silenced?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/s...o-mock-mental-illness

Very soon we will not be allowed to utter a word for fear of the PC Police. Whilst obvious we dont want people singles out there also has to be the freedom of thought to be considered.

Quote Millipede:

Just as we joined the fight against racism, against sexism and against homophobia, so we should join the fight against this form of intolerance.


So where will labour stop? when we reach the pinnacle of communism that is China perhaps?

[friedgreentomato]

No self respecting human being would mock a person with disabilities!!!

[rojash]

You have an extremely weird idea of the difference between freedom and intolerance, youngmafbog. Do you really reckon that dismissing people who have been driven to ending their lives as "Johnny Suicides" demonstrates a valuable freedom of thought?

[Gromit]

// there also has to be the freedom of thought to be considered. //

You are free to think whatever you like but if you broadcast it by speaking then you risk telling everyone you are an insensitive human being.

[pdq1]

I had a brother who was crippled due to brain damage at birth. This resulted in having a type of fit where he didn't black out completely but acted strangely. Throughout his childhood he suffered taunts and abuses. He died eventually as he couldn't take any more.

[Bazile]

I just dont get this ' Millipede ' 'noo labour ' business that you are so fond of using .
It might have been slightly amusing the first time you used it - however do you really think it's funny after the upteenth time hence , to anyone else ?

[ichkeria]

It's the references to Ken Clarke as "Red Ken" that I found quite amusing (note use of the past tense here!)

[Gromit]

Noo Labour. Ooman Rights. Elf and Safety.

Right wing looney jargon.

[Lonnie]

I have a daughter who is Autistic, with a mental age of approx 20 months, (she is 28), and as a result am in constant close contact with a host of adults with various mental handicaps.

If I hear someone mocking them, I'll remonstrate with them, but, I would never, ever, report them, too much curtailing of the freedom of speech is in part, ruining this country.

Physical actions, that's different.

[Quizmonster]

Right-wingers do tend to be hard-of-thinking, but I wouldn't mock them in the street for it.

[Duncer]

Quizmonster, that's a rather intolerant and bigoted post, not to mention a dreadful generalisation.

Are you really saying that anyone to the right is to be beleived to be of subnormal mental capacity?

[Duncer]

Including those who spell "believed" wrongly.

Oops!

[Quizmonster]

Duncer, the relevant part of the definition of 'tend' in Chambers Dictionary reads, "to be apt or prone to do something, to move or incline in some direction..." In addition, I spoke of "rightwingerS" in the plural. Consequently, it is perfectly obvious that I did NOT say "anyone" - in the sense of "everyone" - "to the right."
If you cannot see some truth in my claim, I suggest you read contributions right here on the AnswerBank News category from the more rabid of our right-wingers. (You don't have to look too far!)

[Duncer]

I can see it, just as I can see the dictatorial and highly patronising tendencies of some to the left on this site. You, however, generalised, categorising right wingers by using the plural and suggesting they "tend" towards retardation or, in your words, being "hard of thinking", before patronising me with a dictionary definition.

I do tend to react to posts like that.

Cheers.

[Quizmonster]

Duncer, when you wrote 'tend', did you mean 'always'? I suspect not and nor did I.
It's perfectly clear that intelligent right-wingers do exist...one current minister is even called 'Two-brains'...but that does not invalidate my claim in general terms.
Cheers to you, too.

[Duncer]

Like I said, it was a generalisation on your part, and you were first to use the word "tend", and a tendency towards something implies that it is more common than not.

Semantics rule!

[Quizmonster]

I was, indeed, first to use the word 'tend', Duncer, and I did so quite deliberately. Re semantics - which certainly rule for me - let me draw your attention to the simple fact that ‘more common than not’ is no synonym for ‘invariable’. You are clearly forgetting the “nots” inherent in your own choice of 4-word phrase.
I may choose to write, “I tend to prefer Speyside malts (S) to Islay (I) ones.” If I do, that specifically means the claim is not true of ALL relevant malts. I may well, for example, prefer Laphroaig (I) to Benrinnes (S) - in fact, I do - but, in general, I still think Speysides are preferable.

I suggesst you apply the same rule to the topic under discussion.

[Duncer]

I would, were it comparable.

To say "Right-wingers do tend to be hard-of-thinking", quite clearly, in my book, is an implication that those to the right are thick/retared/call it what you will. There are no comparisons and, whether you like it or not, it is a generalisation. Just because you did not say "ALL" right wingers are hard of thinking does not absolve you from making a lumpen generalisation.

The Whiskey analogy is spurious as it contains choices, your statement did not.

[Quizmonster]

I must apologise, I didn't realise that we all had to operate according to "your book".

John Stuart Mill, one of Britain's greatest philosophers, wrote, "The Conservative party was, by the law of its composition, the stupidest party."
Chided for that, he responded, "I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally conservative. [My insert: note the small 'c'.] I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it. Suppose any party, in addition to whatever share it may possess of the ability of the community, has nearly the whole of its stupidity, that party must, by the law of the constitution, be the stupidest party."


There is a clear comparison here; namely, between the 'able' and the 'stupid' within any community. Mill clearly thought the Conservatives had the support of most of the dim a century and a half ago and I am happy to agree with him today.

[ludwig]

Interesting. We can only conclude that there must be something about living in an affluent area that adversely affects the intelligence, and vice versa.