Vocal Voices

It seems likely that in Spetember this year, the Irish government will pass into law the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate offences) Bill.

Under the Bill, soon to become an Act, it will become a crime to say anything, in person or online, which anybody from a protected category (race, gender religion, sexuality etc.) finds hateful or offensive.

Offence is in the eye of the beholder and the bill contains no definition of what hate might actually be. Plus, the Gardai will soon have the right to search your laptop or phone for anything that may be deemed ‘offensive or hateful’. If they find it you could get five years in jail.

This seems to me to be extremely authoritarian indeed.

Finds hateful or offensive?

It is already career enhancing to play the race card.

I truly hope the first person brought to court under this bill is a politician that voted for it

... which anybody from a protected category (race, gender, religion, sexuality etc.) finds hateful or offensive.

So that makes it open house on white Celtic heterosexual males and females. Anybody can say anything about them and all is fine and dandy because they are not a protected group.

The plot is truly lost.