Someone please tell me this one is a HOAX.

Originally posted by captainbitter
reply to post by oozyism

 

I found your post offensive, I'm going to have to take you to court now. You have to be responsible for your actions you know.

Erm, I hope that wasn't too offensive.

What do you know about this law?

Post some details

reply to post by ownbestenemy


The judge, the law makers blablabla..

You guys don't have freedom of speech, so why complain about this one?

I find it kinda odd, that it seems people from Britain and the US are against such laws which effects their freedom of speech, but both Americans and British public know that their freedom of speech has been scraped over hate speech laws, which can put you behind bars for speaking words.

Worse, even historians are sent behind bars, for revising history, and being critics of the current version of history etc etc..

My point is, what is the point of being against this law, when laws has already been passed which has destroyed your freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Why care when you don't stand up against such policies?

Waste of time in my opinion.

In other notes, before screaming at this law, please provide the details in regards so we can all be in the same page.. Meaning the official details of this law, conditions etc.

reply to post by oozyism


Here's an article detailing what this legislation will do:

BBC Article


Damn, its not a hoax after all.

reply to post by oozyism


Alright...I am not sure what set you off against me....but I have stood against all other policies that are asinine and especially against speech and expression. Aim your vitrol elsewhere.

there needs to be a law to enable me to sue you for not having a sense of humor.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Without checking the validity of the article I'm still mightly surprised so many of you American's are shocked by this!

Political correctness has already well and truly gone mad in this country, it really is an absolute joke and unfortunately I can't see it getting any better.

Has no one heard about not being allowed to fly England flags outside our homes as they may offend other minorities? I could probably name thousands of more examples but thats the first one that springs to mind...

What about people getting sued for defending themselves or their property from burgulars?

Or the fact that we can't say "white board" in a classroom no more? It's now a "writing board" or some other PC term...

I cant believe people are actually sitting around a table somewhere and writing these laws, thinking there a good idea. I hate this politically correct age. It has good intentions but poor implimentation. Words are words you can listen to them or you can ignore them. You have the ability to filter information, people need to use this amazing power. Action is whats important.

It seems like every day I loose more and more faith in humanity.

reply to post by FortAnthem


The Daily Mail is a right wing newspaper putting right wing spin on its reporting of the legislation. I'm an employment lawyer, advising on claims brought under the Equality Act 2010. First of all, it's hardly new; it simply consolidates and replaces existing legislation which alrady gave protection against discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation and age.

Second, it's really hard to win a claim. The burden of proof is initially on the claimant to prove discrimiantion occurred.

Third, the legal test for harassment is a mixed objective/subjective test. If you're deliberately targeted, then it's harassment. If you claim to be offended by some joke or comment you overheard, the court apples a test which looks at whether you are being oversensitive. So, it's simply not true that you can sue on a whim.

Fourth, yes you are now protected against third part harassment in the workplace, e.g. if a customer or client of your company harasses you - but only if you have reported it to your employer twice and your employer doesn't take any action to prevent it happening a third time. For example, a drunk customer in a bar repeatedly makes lewd comments to a woman working behind the bar, and the employer lets it happen, doesn't ask him to leave.

People go to work in order to do work for their employer, and get paid in return, not to be subjected to bullying and harassment. Workers who are being bullied don't perform as well, and aren't as productive - so it even makes sense from an employer's perspective to stop bullying in the workplace - a more profitable company for him/her.

If you want to criticise legislation, fair enough; but don't rely on the Daily Mail to give you an accurate and balanced report on it.

Agreed nonvexatious.
Fortunately most of the public treat all this pc stuff as joke.
That said, I have been responsible for putting together a couple of staff magazines in recent years and they were strictly edited - in case anything should offend anyone. And I did once work for a council which sent round a memo saying we shouldn't use the term 'black binliners'.
I think it's partly down to the 'sue culture' - which we seem to have inherited from the States.

Originally posted by oozyism
reply to post by FortAnthem

 

That is just you being paranoid, someone else hearing your joke which was not directed at him.. Naa, that isn't true, because your friend was there to tell prove you were talking to him, not someone else.

Such laws usually have counter laws, which states that if someone falsely, and intentionally sue someone, there would be a punishment for that person also. In that sense, people would be very careful when trying to sue someone.

This will also force you to find a friend you can trust, instead of a friend that will come in your life, use and abuse you then, bye, bye.

Very intelligent law indeed, which forces people to take responsibility for their own actions.

NO no NO! This is BS, the world is so relative something I say that I don't find offensive in any way can offend someone else who then has the right to sue me? The only way to avoid being sued to the streets would be to not say anything at all ever! Speaking your mind and opinions will become a liability and once again we as a people will put ourselves under oppression because being offeneded is so damn easy.

If something offends you, THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM and NO ONE ELSES! They have therapy and psychologists to help get around problems like that.

This law will absolutely destroy the social aspects people have and share with eachother...

Need to get rid of your office competition for the upcoming promotions? Start a little black book of all the possible things they said that could have offended you and strike when the time is right. I'm sure they will do this too so make sure you go mute.

You support this law at your own demise...I'm pretty sure calling someone paranoid could be percieved as offensive. So ya welcome to your first law-suit....not very intelligent law at all because its inevitable people will abuse it beyond its intended scope, and when this happens and you asked for it, enjoy

Doesn't this law violate the individual's right not to be offended?

Let us hope, as others have stated, that this is a belated April's Fools joke.

Being self employed - and therefore at constant risk of offending and suing myself - I wasn't aware that this Mickey Mouse anti-common sense legislation introduced by the we-hate-Britain party (aka Labour) was still going to be introduced.

I'm very disappointed in our new Govt I though some of them were more intelligent than a small pine cone that's been squashed by a tractor. Sadly I was wrong.


Edit: should point out though that this does not mean the end of the office joke and that the Daily Fail is to journalism what Buggsy Malone is to International Finance.

Always remember: the tabloid media exist to create scare stories and misinform the public.

The source is the Daily Mail !!!! The well known purveyor of the truth that is so distorted by right wing propganda who knows if anything original is left.

To all our US cousins NEVER EVER believe a goddam word coming from the Daily Mail. The most neutral paper in this country (for news) is the Financial Times, strangely enough. It reports events as they are without any comment. All economic/political commentary is kept for the money pages.