I’ve got a lot of video today, because that’s just the kind of mood I’m in.
I’m not if you’ve heard, but conservative radio host Michael Savage has been banned from entering Great Britain because, according to the British Home Secretary, Savage is, “someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country.”
Here’s some video of Savage responding to the news he’d been banned:
Savage has said he wants top First Amendment attorneys to represent him “in a major international case” as he sues British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for defamation. Personally, I doubt Savage’s suit will amount to a hill of beans, but I can’t wait to see him defend his unique brand of speech in court.
Does Britain have a clause in their national documents (i.e. constitution; charter; etc.) that includes “free speech”? And I thought he was amongst those who feel that a country can limit who “crosses its borders”?
Interesting…….
*L*
Savage is his own self-made Hitler. Ironies abound. If you ever listened to the turkey it is the gays are this, the gays are responsible for that… blah blah blah blah.
That being the case, the UK is 100% wrong in their ban on Savage.
Let the guy speak, he’ll flush out the rest of the bigots in British society. Thank you for free speech, we would not know that Belling is a sexist and a racist, and just how many people support him.
MC, as objectionable as I find many of the things that come out of Savage’s mouth, I’m in agreement that this ban went too far.
I uphold the idea that countries have the right to control their borders. If the appointed leaders wish to prevent someone from entering, I consider that acceptable and preferred over arresting them for hate crimes after they enter.
I think that mullah extremists,skinheads, and various assorted international hate-oriented groups should be prevented from entry. I am okay with that discrimination for border entry.
PB, I agree that countries should have the right to control their borders; I just think they should reserve the power to bar individuals from entering for only those individuals who truly represent a serious risk to the safety and security of the nation, such as known terrorists, skinheads, criminals, etc.
While Michael Savage has certainly said some pretty objectionable things, I don’t think anything he’s said has warranted being banned from entering Britain.
Going back to my original question….Britain does not have a First Amendment giving free speech or a free independent press. And these rights are not international rights….How does Savage expect to legally fight “First Amendment violations” with a government that does not have these items in its national documents? Especially since he consistently talks about how governments have the right to exclude people from entering their country?
I agree that in the US we have these rights and should not ban individuals from our country because of beliefs or their “extreme ideology”…..but we do. The US claims Cat Stevens (sp) is a terrorist and cannot enter the country.
To give some insight as to why the Brits consider Savage a threat below is an interview by Fareed Zakaria (CNN) of the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband (July 5, 2009). It primary topic is Iran and the international relationships Britain has with the Muslim community. It is not about Savage, but around 10:30 to 15:00 Miliband talks about giving respect to different cultures and how it affects the British security. He speaks of the disenfranchised groups of people who have connections to extremist and have bombed their transit systems.
Tho he does not say “hate speech” he does talk about how disrespect insights violence. This is similar to not being able to “yell fire in a crowded theater”. Britain has a large population of non-anglos….his views are considered racist and inappropriate.
Either way interesting interview.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/07/05/gps.miliband.iran.pak.cnn
Laurie, thanks for the link….the interview was interesting, to say the least.
I totally agree with you that Michael Savage is nothing but a loud mouth idiot. He should be banned from the UK. He is like a disease ready to spread.