End of Freedom of Speech or a blow for Journalistic integrity?

Little background for our US cousins - there is no such thing as a "Bill of rights" in Australia

So this case involving Andrew "I'm a little twonk" Bolt has been an interesting test of the "right to free speech" versus racist slander and defamation (Okay so I don't like the man - he is a known climate denialist whore who would not know a fact if it bit him on the bum)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-28/press-council-on-bolt-case/3026502

 

The end of free speech.

I'm a [man-made]climate change denier...the whole thing's a big huge croc...and he knows plenty of facts about it.

 

Alan Jones once wrote:

http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5101&Itemid=134

The easiest way to silence some poor unsuspecting citizen from saying anything is by calling him a racist.

Mind you it's never racist when dreadful things are said about Anglo-Saxons, but that's another story.

We read at the weekend that we're supposed to be the most racist State in Australia.

There's going to be a conference starting in Sydney on Tuesday called Rights, Reconciliation, Respect and Responsibility.

And this report will be released there, the first results of a so-called study, Challenging Racism - the Anti-Racism Research Project.

And we're told that high rates of migration meant that on average New South Wales was the least tolerant of all the States and Territories.

So you object to migration and you're a racist.

No matter that you might be worried about where they're going to live or where they're going to work, or are they going to claim welfare, or will they adequately assimilate, or where's the infrastructure to support them - all legitimate concerns.

No, protest against immigration and you must be racist.

If you say that Australia is weakened by ethnic groups sticking to their old ways, then you're racist.

So when people were surveyed for this report they said that Australia was weakened by ethnic groups sticking to their old ways.

And the reality is Australia is so weakened.

The report found that a high rate of migration concentrated in Sydney meant a higher rate of encounters with different cultures.

Well, most Australians would say that's no bad thing.

But when they find that these people don't respect Australia, its customs, its flag, its way of life, when they choose not to work or fail to assimilate, then it's not racist to say what the hell are you doing here.

Australians legitimately feel if you come to Australia and you make that choice, you should work hard to fit in with what you find.

etc

etc

etc

That's not racism.

That's called defending your own patch.

And if Australians aren't entitled to do that, we may as well just put up the white flag.

@@@@@

Yes, it's obviously time to put up the white flag.

The Left-Greens and all their disciples have won.

So now it's time to just let them have their way with everything involving other-than-White races, religions other than Christianity, people-smuggling/asylum-seekers, massive immigration, public housing and welfare income for all asylum-seekers/refugees and immigrants, multiculturalism, etc etc etc.

The Aboriginal nation will now just have to fight for its own rights and liberties, and lobby the Left-Greens govt and their disciples for help.

Obviously the majority of Australians today are Left-Greens disciples.

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The Racial Discrimination Act of course is a two way street...and any more of this-ilk should see a class action lawsuit started against the speaker/s...


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...k-hilalis-speech/story-e6frg6nf-1111112425808

"Those atheists, people of the book (Christians and Jews), where will they end up? In Surfers Paradise? On the Gold Coast?

"Where will they end up? In hell. And not part-time. For eternity. They are the worst in God's creation.

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People in Britain should also be launching class action lawsuits:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-stoned-death-says-Muslim-preacher-hate.html

All homosexuals should be stoned to death, says Muslim preacher of hate

All homosexuals should face stoning to death, a Muslim preacher of hate declared yesterday.

 

You are quoting from ALAN JONES to defend racism?? That is like quoting from Mien Kampf to defend anti-Semitism

And "playing the victim" card as a "poor 'lil white person" is just plain pathetic and the usual excuse that is trotted out by the Alan Jones of this world.

They do not know the truth of the plight of the indigenous people and they do not WANT to know it

 

LOL, our US friends will have no trouble determining you are a partisan hack though.

What a thoughtless way to start a thread.

 

At least I was honest in my dislike of Bolt

I put my bias up front and then let everyone else make their own decisions - as adults do

 

What decisions does your bias let you make?

Informed ones? Or biased ones?

 

You just proved the point being made about reverse racism being real and seen as acceptable by many. A persons race has nothing to do with their financial or mental health. Statistics and other types of quantative measures represent only so much. There is plenty of stupid, poor white people for various reasons, just like there is plenty of stupid, poor black people for various reasons - sure they have different reasons unique to being indigenous, but they are not all caused by the 'white person'.

 

Bolty got caught telling lies - now he is being a big sook about it and whinging about "freedom of speech"!!!

You have no freedom to defame Bolty. Suck it up big guy - you were caught, and the Court has found you to be guilty of racial discrimination.

Bad bad Bolty.

 

While I can see why a society would pass such laws, to an American who has absolute freedom of speech, no matter how hateful, vile or evil the message behind it, I find it rather terrifying that a man can stand in front of a judge and be punished by the Law for the mere words that emanated from his mouth or from his hand in other parts of the world.

That is just absolutely scary to an American. There would be riots over here if the Government ever tried that.

 

Bolt is a moron. I cannot stand the man, but I think he had a point. If you are 99% white, and 1% Aboriginal, it is pretty stupid that you say you are Aboriginal over your obvious Australian heritage.

I am part Japanese but I don't tell people that. Probably because I don't get any special treatment from the government if I do.

 

I find it terrifying that a man can post to a public forum with such breath-taking ignorance.


Bolt was not "punished" for anything. His publishers were asked not to re-print the article in which he defamed people.

Please do not tell lies in future.

 

It is not about whether Bolt had a "point" or not.

Bolt is free to be a racist as he likes.

But he cannot defame people in print. That is illegal.
In this case - instead of pursuing defamation laws - the claimants sued him under the Racial Discrimination Act.

So now we all know - Bolt is not just a liar - he is a racist liar.

 

Bolt is racist against whites claiming to be aboriginals, that`s what you are saying. Stupid.

 

Bolt is a racist because he has just been found guilty of contravening the Racial Discrimination Act.

He made defamatory statements which were reasonably likely to have offended, insulted, humiliated or intimidated persons by the imputations conveyed in them.

Why is that stupid?

 

It`s stupid and pathetic to degrade ourselves so low into mealy mouthed wowserism, that we can`t expose white parasites cashing on assistance programs meant for aborigines. Aborigines generally in this country, have massive problems, most of which political correctness is trying to sweep under the carpet, giving aborigines no hope of overcoming their problems. This is a callous attitude. Why do politically correct robots want to slowly kill off our aborigines?

 

Bolt did not identify any individual person, he made a generalised statement and for that he was hauled before the court and prosecuted. That's scary!!

 

Geoff Clark........

I'd rather put up with Bolt than stand up next to that pig.

 

The point he was making is valid though.
And my take on it is just because someones great, great, great grandaddy took a shine to a dirty gin it does not make em an abbo. The only reason some of these folk claim abbo status is the "perks" that come with it.

 

errrr no.... Bolt identified and defamed 9 individual persons.

He did not make a "generalised statement". He specifically defamed 9 people.

That is why he was hauled before the court and prosecuted.

That is not in any way scary. That is how the law is supposed to work.

 

Yes - maybe his point was valid.

You have presented your point in a fair way in good faith and I believe that is your opinion. I do not agree with you - but that is my opinion. You are free to say what you just said without any fear whatsoever of breaching the RD Act. We are lucky to enjoy free speech.

Shame Bolt did not follow your example. He defamed individuals. That is why he was found guilty. He is not free to defame people and use that defamation as racial abuse.

 

That may be so. But that is not what we re discussing here.

We are discussing the fact that Bolt was caught breaking the law.

 

He shouldn't have named anyone, that is where he went wrong. He'll learn from it...we hope - although knowing Bolt, he'll rant about it for a year or so before he finally shuts up.

 

He should not have told lies about people. That is where he went wrong. Otherwise he is free to be as racist as he likes. There is no curtailment of his free speech - he just needs to learn to not tell lies about people in his racist rants.

 

Could you possibly use MORE offensive terms?

Go on - start calling African Americans "(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s" it is actually less offensive than the term "gin"

You will note that the term N#I#G#G#E#R# is automatically deleted from the site - and this is not the only site that does so. (Mods please forgive my attempt to circumvent the curse filter - sometimes it is the only way to prove a point)