I'm concerned...
I don't agree with the EDL's concerns. However, I'm concerned that someone could loose their job for supporting a political party. Free speech and all that.
A school received hatemail targeting its caretaker after he was wrongly identified as a fascist by opponents of the English Defence League, based on data stolen by an Islamist hacking group. The headmaster of the comprehensive school in Dorset, which The Register has agreed not to name, summoned the caretaker to his office …
Re: Evil Auditor
Yeah I agree. Employers should be able to sack their workers whenever they want. Never mind all those employment protection laws enacted over the last 100+ years. Lets get rid of the unions while we are at it. After all if employers can sack workers whenever they see fit then the unions no longer fulfill a purpose.
/sarc
Thank you for your fantastic support for our new policies! rest assured that those dastardly trade unions will be put in their place so we can spend more time drinking pimms! and spending their money.
Tell me, do you mind if we cite your post as "A groundswell of support?" Mr Sarc?
DavidC
...it's called the Human Rights Act. Often derided by the Daily Wail , but can be very useful in other cases. Try these for starters.
•the right not to be punished for something that wasn't a crime when you did it
•the right to respect for private and family life
•freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom to express your beliefs
•freedom of expression
•freedom of assembly and association
You're free to do or say whatever you want, but the state will intervene if you commit a crime. In this case I think the anti-EDF sentiment is likely more justified by their history of violent marches surrounded by a litany of other public order offences, including direct attacks on police. Wikipedia seems to list 19 in the last 16 months.
While I don't approve of vigilantes for the reasons highlighted by this article, the EDL is a particularly unpleasant organisation.
They aren't a political party, they are a street army. Formed from groups of organised football hooligans, and recruiting similar individuals. They would have done very well in the SA in the Germany of the early thirties.
Ok. I am a white, middle-class male. As a group, we are the richest, have best access and results in education, white middle-class men and women have the best access and outcomes in health-care. White middle-class males are massively disproportionately represented in A) the boards of companies B) politics C) science D) law E) banking... I could go on. Pretty much everywhere.
I am never turned away from establishments because of my colour. I am never not listened to because of my gender. I am never made to feel unwelcome because of my religion (or lack of it). These things still happen - ask a women, a black person, a disabled person or a Muslim (helps if you know some...).
Bottom of the pile? No. No we are not. Statistics prove things are still heavily weighted in our favour.
If you believe that we are at the bottom of the pile, it is because believing you're a victim of circumstance (rather than you're own inadequacy) is what makes you feel better about the crap bits in your life that you, yes, you, really should sort out.
The man said: "However given the nature of my employment with children allegations like this could have cost me my job and my family their home."
We used to believe in being innocent until proven guilty in this country. We used to believe in the rule of law. We used to believe in due process. All of these have been eroded so that all too often the innocent suffer along with the guilty. The man may be a numptie; there's no law against that. Even if he were a member of a perfectly legal - if objectionable - organisation that would be no reason for him to be in fear of loosing his job and home, either.
You admit that the guy is a bit of a numptie but you are perfectly willing to accept his word that it might have cost him his job? There is no suggestion from the school that his job was under threat. As far as you can tell from the article the headmaster was merely warning him that some violent nutters were making threats against his wife and his family.
But hey, why let facts stop a good old fashioned rant? You know, it used to be that people exercised a bit of common sense and gave others the benefit of the doubt before mouthing off....
Oops, sorry.
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Of just how dangreous this kind of crap can be when a bunch of mixed up, self-righteous, morons who are quite willing to fuck anyone over, get hold of a list of names.
Arseholes, the lot of them.
BTW "self-righteous morons" includes all the commentards who start banging on about how great such "membership" disclosures are.
... and free to be sacked as your employer sees fit?
NO, there are employment laws to protect people from such things. The law has been broken, not by the caretaker, but by the "Hacker" It is he/she that should face justice. In this case not hacker, but criminal. I'm sure his actions will have brought him to the attention of the security services. Remember just because you are paranoid does mean that they are not watching you.
Freedom of speech is paramount.
Yes, I *KNOW* the quote I have used it many times myself (as a quick search of my name and the phrase will demonstrate) although actually whilst it's generally now attributed to Voltaire, it's possible that he never said it, but it's a paraphrase of his beliefs see: http://www.classroomtools.com/voltaire.htm
I was not accusing you of threatening anyone, the point I was making was that in your post you put a question mark at the end seemingly querying why the opponents of the EDL should not be allowed to say what they want, however I think you would agree that sending threatening hate-mail goes beyond the right of freedom of speech.
Perhaps the people who down-voted me would like to change their votes now, or don't they agree with *MY* right to express an opinion because *they* misunderstood it?
But it looks like it's being sorted out. At least the school decided to ask him rather than simply fire him.
Also, people, please, there was no danger that he might "loose" his job. He might yet "lose" it for any number of reasons but "loosing" it is not an option. Internet spelling. Now that should be a sacking offence.
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Clearly it was the anti EDL's intention by Emailing his employer that this man should be fired and thereby lose his employment and thereby a home for his family (hence 'on the street').
It would appear that you agree with this anti EDL tactic but myself I think it's callous, heartless, cruel and distinctly sinister.
In fact I would go as far as to label them Evil Bar Stewards of the highest order.
Given that his supposed 'crime' was to hold different political viewpoints than to maybe I guess er maybe yours?
What then would your 'punishment' be then for such a 'crime' ?
Life in prison ? Maybe a 're-education camp? Body parts chopped off?
Do tell I could do with a laugh.