Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

How to rape a messageboard

You know how it is. You're at a party talking about fluffy kittens, Tommy's new tricycle and who's having the in-laws over for Christmas when some drunken bastard comes wobbling in, droning on about the EU, feral children, Muslims and immigrants in general, and how it's all 'our' fault for opening up our borders, not being zealots and not giving kids a clip round the ear.

In real life, of course, it's easier to avoid these unpleasant coves. You can just go into another room, or crack them over the head with a stale baguette when no-one's looking, then rub their faces in the cat's litter tray and run away. But when you've got a messageboard, it's not that simple. It's a dilemma. Do you, in the interest of free speech, let some total arse ruin your lovely space with right-wing rubbish? You wouldn't let some kid with a spraycan tag your garage just because he's got a right to free speech, would you? Or do you tell them to bugger off?

I ask this because I was following up my earlier post this week in which I mentioned the BNP agenda being attached to a story about the Stephen Lawrence centre in London being attacked by vandals.

The stance of many BNP folk (as usual, I don't link to their website. Go there if you will, but you might end up crying) is this:

1. Why are the media obsessed about Stephen Lawrence?
2. Probably wasn't someone white anyway. It's 90% black in that part of London.
3. Why is this building more important than other human beings being attacked (especially white people attacked by Asians, even if there is and never has been a racial element to the crime)?

And those views were reflected in many comments on the Mail's website. Coincidence? I'm not sure. One comment struck me, by 'Dr T Gibbons'.

"Having lived in South East London I can tell you that there is still a very high resentment against the perception of what led to Steven Lawrence's death.

Those of us who lived in the area at the time remain convinced that it was not a racially motivated killing.

That the centre was damaged is of no connection to racism. It is based in an area that is 90% black. Hardly likely that white youths would travel to that area at all, let alone to damage a building about something that happened years ago."

- Dr T Gibbons, London

A quick search is unable to find a Dr T Gibbons in London. There may well be one but I can't find one. (Of course it might just be a university doctor rather than a medical one, though in my view anyone who calls themselves a doctor who doesn't practise medicine is a complete berk) But it got me thinking. If you were trying to make a nasty point, wouldn't it be better to try and make out that you were an authority figure? I started thinking about the times I've read on messageboards "I'm black myself, and even I think that immigration is a bad thing". And it got me wondering.

I had a search for T Gibbons and found this gem. It says everything really, given that it is on a website about pedestrianisation. Classic. But when you have an open messageboard, this is what you're going to get in our wonderful world of Web 2.0 - totally off topic, total bullshit, total lies, borderline racism and aggression against a minority group. But do you publish it or not? Living Streets did:

What will the Conservative Party do to solve the problem of the slow islamization of Britain. Will you deny it exists or will you be honest, as your shadow minister of defence is and face it head on. Britain needs a party free of PC, lefties dhimmies who give extra freedom to Muslims at the cost of reducing our own freedom and future liberty. If you can promise to take a hard stand to set this situation right; to return Britain to the British you will certainly get my vote and complete support. I am not racist but am concerned about how my wonderful country is slowly slipping into the hands of sharia politics. your sincerely T. Gibbons

Obviously I'm not saying this T Gibbons and the good doctor are one and the same, but who knows? I imagine if they bumped into each other at a party, they'd quite enjoy each other's company.

As for me, what do I do with comments? As far as I'm concerned, if you're on topic, dissent and disagreement are part and parcel of having a blog in the first place. But if you think you can use this blog to have a 'free hit' at Muslims and minorities, then you can fuck off.

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