The slogan B... to Blair....whats the offence

[Dom Tuk]

The slogan B to Blair (you know what i mean) has gone down in political folklore as an apt repudiation of the policies of one mad man in the face of sustained opposition of the faceless and helpless masses. The Times reports (sat 24 Sept) that a woman wearing a shirt with this slogan at some sporting event was arrested and told she was committing an offence. What offence was this?? She was later released without charge but made to cover the slogan. Are we now in some dictatorship??

[january_bug]

The girl was local t me and the story just appeared in the local paper.  She was arrested for telling another girl wearing the same t-shirt to avoid the police.  She was told it would be offensive to 70 and 80 year olds.  Her theory is that the police were anti-hunt and she is pro-hunt so they just found any excuse.  I am inclined to agree. 

What is perfectly clear, is that it could have said "B0ll0cks to Bumble Bees" and it would still have been 'offensive'. 

This had nothing to do with Blair, but then, any excuse for a political rant, eh?

[nedflanders]

I would expect to be pulled if I had a t-shirt on that said "ball0cks to Jews" or "ball0cks to islam" so why would i not be for your pet slogan?.

re: the dictatorship thing? had you tried walking around baghdad with a "ball0cks to saddam" t-shirt on i doubt you still be on this earth i take that comment with the pinch of salt you intended.

[Dom Tuk]

ned...i agree 'B to Saddam' would have got be a bullet in the brain, but there has been much more tolerance for political criticims in this country. What will happen at the next general election campaign when large posters quite insulting of the other party are put up...remember the Howard and Jew slant or the Blair/Bliar posters. Will they be banned as well?

[january_bug]

Only if they include swear words. 

Surely you get it now.  You're a smart person Dom Tuk.  I know you hate Blair, but this issue is actually about whether or not it's ok for people to walk around with the word "b0ll0cks" written on their T-Shirt.  It's not about politics or a dictatorship. 

And, if you'd care to read my post that I wrote earlier this morning, (0751) the girl in question believes the whole thing was about hunting anyway, not about Blair). 

[Jude123]

January_bug I've read this thread with interest and I have to tell you I agree with all your comments.  I'm not very articulate but know what I feel and think and you have spelt it all out perfectly.

[january_bug]

Cor! I'm really flattered by that.  Thank you Jude123! :-)  Next time though, if I haven't got there first, or you disagree with me, then pipe up!  Answers don't have to be worthy of a PhD or anything, just say what you feel! :-)

[davver]

The 'B to Blair' slogan has got nothing to do with Iraq. It's one of a set of slogans that are printed on jumpers, shirts etc which are aimed at the hunting community. I've got one that says 'Liberty and Livelihood', only narrowly deciding for that over 'B to Blair'. Although the 'B2B' slogan may initially seem crude, if you have observed the fight hunting has had with this Labour government over the last 8 years, it is very apt. The government has again and again promised a decision based upon fair research and evidence, for example its own Burns Report, and then ignored it when it is pro-hunting. The epitome of this was Tony Banks, on the morning of the final vote in the House of Commons, declaring quite openly on the Today programme that the ban was note about hunting but a class thing. In the face of a government that announces its willingness to listen, but blatantly display nothing of the sort, the '********' response seems to be the only thing appropriate.
What amuses me is the way that anti-war protesters, many of whom have little or nothing in common with the pro-hunting lobby, can still be united with them by antipathy to Blair.

[davver]

I might also point out that the event was a game fair, and so pro-hunting/shooting/fishing slogans were bound to be very much in evidence. If the police were surprised to have seen this t-shirt, then they really should do their homework a bit better before they officiate at an event.