British man arrested for making jokes about Mandela on the internet.

[Beriallord]

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520662/Neil-Phillips-quizzed-8-HOURS-police-Nelson-Mandela-Twitter-jokes.html

 

A sandwich shop owner endured eight hours of questioning by police and had his computer seized for three weeks – after making tasteless Nelson Mandela jokes on the internet.

Neil Phillips, who runs Crumbs in Rugeley, Staffordshire, says he was also finger-printed and DNA-swabbed after officers received complaints about what he insists were harmless gags.

In one online post, the 44-year-old wrote: 'My PC takes so long to shut down I’ve decided to call it Nelson Mandela.'

 

The reason I put this in debates, is to discuss whether or not you think its fair to arrest someone for something like this.

My opinion:

 

If they're arresting people over stuff like this in Britain, then its clear to me the people there live in a police state. Hitler also had people arrested that said things that didn't fit their twisted ideological model.

 

 

[kvnchrist]

PC is alive and well across the pond as well, I see.

[Beriallord]

PC is alive and well across the pond as well, I see.

PC and arresting someone over PC are 2 different heads of the same beast. They've driven it into being law, whereas in America the worst you'll receive are labels and possibly being socially outcast at the very worst.

 

And ironically, it wasn't long ago that Mandela was viewed by the British government as a "terrorist", and regardless of the brutal methods of the ANC under his leadership, he is a hero - or else. You familiar with the term "Necklace"? Basically they put a tire around your neck and set you on fire along with the tire, which was ANC butchery at its finest.

[Nintii]

Yes, he started off as a terrorist however, upon release from prison he more than made up for whatever

he previously did by averting a major civil war.

In my eyes and the eyes of many other millions of South Africans he is a hero.

But coming back on topic, I think it's ridiculous to arrest someone even if they are ignorant - and that's

exactly what Neil Phillips is - for posting something about anyone irrespective of the character because

this is a violation of freedom of speech.

[Tidus44]

Obviously, there is a more to the story than some completely stupid individual with innocent motives who posted a tasteless joke to a web site.

 

Why is it that when a person who has demonstrated a type of behavior is looked at by the police it is a “police state”, but then when some individual goes off and commits some crime the complaint is why didn’t the police do something because “all the signs” were there?

 

All that I see is the same media BS one sees on both sides of the ocean. A story that is one-sided, incomplete, devoid of facts but full of opinion and innuendo in order to create controversy and fear.

[HeyYou]

So he was released, and not charged? Just out of idle curiosity, what was the expressed reason for arresting him in the first place? Is that listed anywhere? If nothing else, should be on the police report. (which, in the states, is available if you ask for it.... not sure if it works like that there....)

 

If the sole reason he was arrested was because of poor taste in jokes...... There are a BUNCH of comedians here in the states that should stay away from GB......

[JimboUK]

Obviously, there is a more to the story than some completely stupid individual with innocent motives who posted a tasteless joke to a web site.

 

Why is it that when a person who has demonstrated a type of behavior is looked at by the police it is a “police state”, but then when some individual goes off and commits some crime the complaint is why didn’t the police do something because “all the signs” were there?

 

All that I see is the same media BS one sees on both sides of the ocean. A story that is one-sided, incomplete, devoid of facts but full of opinion and innuendo in order to create controversy and fear.

 

No there's not, this is the sort of nonsense we have to put up with. Section five of the Public Order Act makes engaging in "insulting words or behaviour" illegal, all someone has to do is tell the police they feel they've been or feel insulted and the police have to investigate, thankfully an act that comes into force next year removes that part. When the law was passed in the mid 80s it wasn't an issue, we didn't have country full of morons with nothing better to do that get offended on the behalf of others. Over the last few years we've had one guy arrested for calling a police horse gay, someone else for making barking noises at dogs, Peter Tatchell was arrested for condemning the treatment of gay people in Islamic counties, the list goes on, I live in a country run by raving lunatics.

[HeyYou]

 

Obviously, there is a more to the story than some completely stupid individual with innocent motives who posted a tasteless joke to a web site.

 

Why is it that when a person who has demonstrated a type of behavior is looked at by the police it is a “police state”, but then when some individual goes off and commits some crime the complaint is why didn’t the police do something because “all the signs” were there?

 

All that I see is the same media BS one sees on both sides of the ocean. A story that is one-sided, incomplete, devoid of facts but full of opinion and innuendo in order to create controversy and fear.

 

No there's not, this is the sort of nonsense we have to put up with. Section five of the Public Order Act makes engaging in "insulting words or behaviour" illegal, all someone has to do is tell the police they feel they've been or feel insulted and the police have to investigate, thankfully an act that comes into force next year removes that part. When the law was passed in the mid 80s it wasn't an issue, we didn't have country full of morons with nothing better to do that get offended on the behalf of others. Over the last few years we've had one guy arrested for calling a police horse gay, someone else for making barking noises at dogs, Peter Tatchell was arrested for condemning the treatment of gay people in Islamic counties, the list goes on, I live in a country run by raving lunatics.

 

Don't feel like the lone ranger there. :) Pretty much the same thing here. Why we insist on electing idiots as 'leaders' is beyond me.

[Tidus44]

Obviously there is more to the story than just a stupid joke posted to the web.

 

Funny how the headline is "Arrested because he joked about Mandela" and then there seems to be a bit more that isn't fully mentioned or even presented factually.

It says in the article that screen shots were taken; "One was of a shocking image of decapitation, another featuring a wheelchair-bound individual, both posted by Mr Phillips." and described as: "They are vile and deeply offensive, anti-Muslim, anti-disabled."

It also says; "He was one of two men interviewed by police following a bitter, ill-tempered feud over plans for a mining memorial in the town centre has been ambushed by some members of the Far Right and used as a propaganda platform."

 

Yes, it would seem Mr. Phillips is just an poor misunderstood innocent who has done nothing more than post a single weak inoffensive joke to a web site and then suffered the wrath of an oppressive police force.

[JimboUK]

Obviously there is more to the story than just a stupid joke posted to the web.

 

Funny how the headline is "Arrested because he joked about Mandela" and then there seems to be a bit more that isn't fully mentioned or even presented factually.

It says in the article that screen shots were taken; "One was of a shocking image of decapitation, another featuring a wheelchair-bound individual, both posted by Mr Phillips." and described as: "They are vile and deeply offensive, anti-Muslim, anti-disabled."

It also says; "He was one of two men interviewed by police following a bitter, ill-tempered feud over plans for a mining memorial in the town centre has been ambushed by some members of the Far Right and used as a propaganda platform."

 

Yes, it would seem Mr. Phillips is just an poor misunderstood innocent who has done nothing more than post a single weak inoffensive joke to a web site and then suffered the wrath of an oppressive police force.

 

I've explained why there doesn't need to be any more to it, as the law stands the police had to investigate following a complaint. Anyone who knows anything about the Liberal Democrats will be aware of what an deeply unpleasant bunch they are, the fact that one of their number made the complaint comes as no surprise at all.

 

See Section 5 (1) (a) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64 that's the part the terminally offended always use.

 

@HeyYou There's not much you can do when all you have is various idiots to choose from.