To: Scottish Government
We believe that introducing a law to imprison people for up to five years because of offensive sectarian chanting or online comments is extreme and illiberal.
Sign the petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/1967a/petition.html
keep up the good work Stuart and co
ReplyDeleteBrian - greenock
Your petition is wrongly worded. The bill has nothing to do with sectarianism. It is about offensive behaviour at football. The word 'secterian' isn't even mentioned in the bill.
ReplyDeleteDo you also support people's right to take part in offensive racist chanting?
racist is different to sectarian, one racism can be easily defined but sectarian cant, for the past 8 years some Protestant cultural anthems and the odd footy wind up chant have been attempted to be tagged as sectarian and two has been ruled as none singable (un-real).
ReplyDeletethe Media view of sectarian in Scotland is two team's supporters shouting at one another and chanting for their side's and their History.
Free speech please
Regarding the issue of free speech the only person connected with Take a Liberty, Stuart Waiton, is a libertarian who advances the argument of total free speech which unfortunately in his case extends to allowing the expression of racist views.
ReplyDeleteHis comments include not banning marches by the EDL/SDL and that being jailed for anti Irish racial abuse is a political punishment.
Remember this is a Football Issue with regards to Religion Cultural Identity and National Political affilation aka the Scottish Old Firm.
ReplyDeletenot EDL/SDL or any other kind of street organisation.
it is important to remain within the context of the debate. To my mind being a football fan near Glasgow, Rangers and Celtic dont chant of BNP/NF/EDL or SDL or any other racist taunting that i can think of. it is Identity within each club to slag off one another on the field and off it for 90 minutes, maybe taunts like Tim or Dob ect...that is just Football nothing more nothing less.
Regarding the last point, do you not appreciate that telling someone to back to their own country is racist whether that country is India, Jamaica, Ireland or England?
ReplyDeleteAlso for anyone who thinks this is about harmless banter, sectarianism is Scotland has cost lives and will continue to do so until we wake up and smell the coffee. Look at Northern Ireland and see how they have moved on, not by allowing this crap to continue but by saying this has got to stop.
by singing songs - people's lives are taking?
ReplyDeleteIrish League football has worse songs sang at their games and yet the Peace Process and community projects has helped unite both sides.
ReplyDeleteI have been at a Linfield v Cliftonville match singing songs towards them of the very nature mentioned, yet after the game we will go out for the night together.
First and foremost being Irish is not a race, its xenophobia if anthing. The tongue in cheek song is mocking Scottish, yes Scottish people with Irish roots that if they hate the country so much, which with their anti British (Racist in your opinion surely) songs by asking why don't they go home? It is a mock song at Plastic Paddyism, not Irish, and being in your nature to go out of your way to be offended you have whinged about this so muc and now your own songs of ethnic cleansing and baby killing are being taken away.
And being from Co Down, why would I sing The Famine Song if it was racist towards the Irish "Race".
Sing about the Football and get on with it, Step up and play 54 and counting
correct the the "Famine is over" was directed at only one support - CELTIC.
ReplyDeletenot racist in that context if you look into the background of Celtic Football Club.