Stan Collymore tweeter arrested for alleged racism by anti-free speech police
NORTHUMBRIA police have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of racially abusing Talk Sport radio pundit and former Southend United, Aston Villa and Liverpool football Stan Collymore on Twitter.
Northumbria Police declare:
“At 9.55am this morning police received a report of racist tweets and are carrying out inquiries to trace the person responsible.”
Adding later:
“A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred and is currently in police custody helping police with their inquiries.”
Collymore tweets:
“Many thanks to Greater Manchester & Northumbria Police forces for their prompt response to racism on twitter.”
Calling people names on Twitter is a crime that demands action from a police force terrified of being once again labelled “institutionally racist”.
Anyone who says racist and obnoxious things deserves to be challenged. But do they deserve to be arrested?
We recall the words of Swansea magistrate John Charles who told the mentally negligible Liam Stacey – jailed for 56 days for tweeting racist words at then Bolton Wanderers’ player Fabrice Muamba – “At that moment, not just the footballer’s family, not just the footballing world, but the whole world were literally praying for his life. Your comments aggravated this situation.”
If you aggravate people you can go to jail. The people might be intolerant types who want you jailed, raped, murdered and then raped again, but aggravate them and it’s prison for you. Stacey said ugly, ignorant things. But did di realyl aggravate matters? Did people see his tweets to a few hundred followers on Twitter and feel inspired behave in the same vein?
Charles added:
“I have no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence to reflect the public outrage at what you have done.”
No choice? Because the aggravated demand it, the judge has no choice?
Gary Lineker pushed the hashtag #thinkbeforeyoutweet. He was right. Think. But don’t think you can’t say things because the State might send you to jail. Think before you Tweet in case you have to defend your point of view and be debated into realising that you’re a fool…
Photo: Liam Stacey is led away in handcuffs to a prison van after being jailed for 56 days at Swansea Magistrates Court for mocking footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after he collapsed during a match.
Posted: 28th, November 2012 | In: Sports Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
