Repeal Scotland’s Hate Crime Acts and Reinstate Free Speech
Repeal Scotland’s Hate Crime Acts and Reinstate Free Speech
The Issue
Scotland is known for its proud tradition. The Scots: for their fierce patriotism. Scots have contributed to the world in ways that have touched every single good soul on earth. Whether it be to better communication with inventions like the telephone or television, leaps forward in healthcare such as penicillin & MRI scanning, or industrious cornerstones of technology forged like the steam engine, refrigerator or more recently, tide turbines: there is no denying that this wee nation, has really ‘done it’s part’ for mankind.
Recently, our country has changed. And its democratic cornerstones are being levied out from under us. Free Speech has now gone and ideologues rule. Any state effort to control speech, is fascism in its purest form. The question is, what are we to do about it? An attack on speech is an attack on thought. Debate. A severing of academic critical thinking. And a breeze block in the way of bold ideas.
Bold ideas brought us the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Enlightenment and Freedom of Speech.
We have our issues, that is for sure. Poverty grips our nation, with 1 in 3 children growing up below the World Health Organisations poverty line. 1 in 2 in Glasgow: where I am from and live. Drugs are rife. Our Police stretched. Some areas have a life expectancy rate of 58 here. Unbelievable - but true. Our Nation took hundreds of years to wield, with peasant revolts, wars, the Highland Clearances and the eradication of the Clans, to name but a few historical challenges we have overcame.
These were - then fights. And whilst child poverty may be our toughest - now fight - another has reared its ugly head.
Tyranny.
Inasmuch as our government promised to fight child poverty rates, we threw open our doors to refugees and immigrants. Inviting our guests to become Scots. Even our First Minister is a second generation Pakistani son, of Scotland. Exemplifying our honour as hosts and our hospitable, open values.
I’m undoubtedly biased. But this wee nation and its people are some of the best, brightest - and kindest - the world has to offer.
Recently, it seems like our sovereign tree is being shaken and we are losing our golden apples. After all freedom is but an illusory idea: unless it is asserted in the face of those who oppose it. Those who oppose free speech oppose fundamental freedoms.
The right to express one's opinion freely is enshrined in Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Yet, it appears that this right is being overshadowed by overly broad interpretations of what constitutes a 'hate crime'. This has led to numerous instances where individuals are penalised for expressing their views on controversial issues.
Democracy has 2 supporting pillars. One is a free press, the other is free speech. Each connected to the other, in interdependence - much like we the Scots are to our neighbours the English, Irish and Welsh. The English gave us the majestic Magna Carta and mothered all modern Parliaments. Bearing Common law. It is our responsibility to pass those liberties to our children and uphold that which we were given, by our parents. Them by theirs. Theirs whose parents did die for these freedoms.
This is not about the Scottish National Party or politics. This is not a debate between the right or left. This is about the wall which the winged bird perches on, having its bricks knocked out.
Did you know that in 2021 the Scottish police arrested more citizens per head of population - for speech crimes - using the ‘Hate Crime & Public Order Act’, than their Russian counterparts?
Scots have inundated reporting lines with complaints against the former FM for his vitriolic speech about “white people”, prompting the FM to slander those concerned as “far right”, whilst avoiding the infamous Non Crime Hate Incident tag. Others have not been so lucky and have been jailed for jokes.
More worryingly, age thresholds have been removed from Police Scotland’s Hate Crime reporting platforms. Even a child can use the anonymous reporting platform, harking back to the state infiltration of families, where the heart of the family lies, at the hearth, in 1930’s Germany.
A recent poll showed that nearly 70% of Scots, want these Acts repealed. If we amalgamate: we can petition Parliament. Scottish or British.
We have lost a pillar of our beloved nations democracy and we must bear teeth to protect cub and country.
Therefore, we urge lawmakers in Scotland to reconsider and repeal the current Hate Crime Acts. We believe this will pave way for more open discussions and debates without fear of legal repercussions simply for expressing one's opinion.
Will you join me in insisting for the repealment of Scotland’s Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act of 2024 as well as its Stasi-like foundational Hate Crime and Public Order Act of 2021?
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/14/introduction/enacted
https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/news/hate-crime-in-scotland-2021-22/
https://www.statista.com/topics/5509/crime-in-russia/#statisticChapter
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/outrage-humza-yousaf-dodges-police-32500985
201
The Issue
Scotland is known for its proud tradition. The Scots: for their fierce patriotism. Scots have contributed to the world in ways that have touched every single good soul on earth. Whether it be to better communication with inventions like the telephone or television, leaps forward in healthcare such as penicillin & MRI scanning, or industrious cornerstones of technology forged like the steam engine, refrigerator or more recently, tide turbines: there is no denying that this wee nation, has really ‘done it’s part’ for mankind.
Recently, our country has changed. And its democratic cornerstones are being levied out from under us. Free Speech has now gone and ideologues rule. Any state effort to control speech, is fascism in its purest form. The question is, what are we to do about it? An attack on speech is an attack on thought. Debate. A severing of academic critical thinking. And a breeze block in the way of bold ideas.
Bold ideas brought us the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Enlightenment and Freedom of Speech.
We have our issues, that is for sure. Poverty grips our nation, with 1 in 3 children growing up below the World Health Organisations poverty line. 1 in 2 in Glasgow: where I am from and live. Drugs are rife. Our Police stretched. Some areas have a life expectancy rate of 58 here. Unbelievable - but true. Our Nation took hundreds of years to wield, with peasant revolts, wars, the Highland Clearances and the eradication of the Clans, to name but a few historical challenges we have overcame.
These were - then fights. And whilst child poverty may be our toughest - now fight - another has reared its ugly head.
Tyranny.
Inasmuch as our government promised to fight child poverty rates, we threw open our doors to refugees and immigrants. Inviting our guests to become Scots. Even our First Minister is a second generation Pakistani son, of Scotland. Exemplifying our honour as hosts and our hospitable, open values.
I’m undoubtedly biased. But this wee nation and its people are some of the best, brightest - and kindest - the world has to offer.
Recently, it seems like our sovereign tree is being shaken and we are losing our golden apples. After all freedom is but an illusory idea: unless it is asserted in the face of those who oppose it. Those who oppose free speech oppose fundamental freedoms.
The right to express one's opinion freely is enshrined in Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Yet, it appears that this right is being overshadowed by overly broad interpretations of what constitutes a 'hate crime'. This has led to numerous instances where individuals are penalised for expressing their views on controversial issues.
Democracy has 2 supporting pillars. One is a free press, the other is free speech. Each connected to the other, in interdependence - much like we the Scots are to our neighbours the English, Irish and Welsh. The English gave us the majestic Magna Carta and mothered all modern Parliaments. Bearing Common law. It is our responsibility to pass those liberties to our children and uphold that which we were given, by our parents. Them by theirs. Theirs whose parents did die for these freedoms.
This is not about the Scottish National Party or politics. This is not a debate between the right or left. This is about the wall which the winged bird perches on, having its bricks knocked out.
Did you know that in 2021 the Scottish police arrested more citizens per head of population - for speech crimes - using the ‘Hate Crime & Public Order Act’, than their Russian counterparts?
Scots have inundated reporting lines with complaints against the former FM for his vitriolic speech about “white people”, prompting the FM to slander those concerned as “far right”, whilst avoiding the infamous Non Crime Hate Incident tag. Others have not been so lucky and have been jailed for jokes.
More worryingly, age thresholds have been removed from Police Scotland’s Hate Crime reporting platforms. Even a child can use the anonymous reporting platform, harking back to the state infiltration of families, where the heart of the family lies, at the hearth, in 1930’s Germany.
A recent poll showed that nearly 70% of Scots, want these Acts repealed. If we amalgamate: we can petition Parliament. Scottish or British.
We have lost a pillar of our beloved nations democracy and we must bear teeth to protect cub and country.
Therefore, we urge lawmakers in Scotland to reconsider and repeal the current Hate Crime Acts. We believe this will pave way for more open discussions and debates without fear of legal repercussions simply for expressing one's opinion.
Will you join me in insisting for the repealment of Scotland’s Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act of 2024 as well as its Stasi-like foundational Hate Crime and Public Order Act of 2021?
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/14/introduction/enacted
https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/news/hate-crime-in-scotland-2021-22/
https://www.statista.com/topics/5509/crime-in-russia/#statisticChapter
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/outrage-humza-yousaf-dodges-police-32500985
201
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Petition created on 11 April 2024