In 1945 bums were there to be whacked.

Now if they want to do a more realistic training exercise, they would include a few Muslims who are there are victims / bystander and begin praying aloud. It's one thing for the security forces to ignore someone muttering "Sweet Jesus let me live Sweet Jesus let me live" over and over again, but would they also ignore a Muslim muttering the same sorts of prays?

For once, I don't agree with Jessica. Isn't the logical outcome of the above argument that we don't need any laws at all? I think some minor restriction on freedom of speech (racism, trolling, etc) is a price worth paying to make the world a slightly kinder place, just as we accept the loss of privacy to CCTV cameras as a price worth paying to keep us safer. If, as a civilised person, I have no intention of inciting hatred, the fact that it's illegal doesn't restrict me in any way. However there are some freedoms of speech which we must never give up, such as the freedom to criticise the government and (in Britain) to make fun of the royal family.

I can live with that...

No. No legal restrictions on speech of any kind. At all. There are no "freedomS of speech" or "minor restrictions" thereof. Only freedom of speech (singular). Making the world a slightly kinder place has nothing to do with it, despite what some people seem to think. Would in be "nicer" if the world was a kinder place? Yes. But doing it by laws is the wrong way to go about it. Government is force. Nothing more. ALL government. And force won't "make" us kinder or gentler or nicer. And making fun of the royal family isn't really very "nice" either, is it? Fun, maybe, but not nice. The state can't "make" us nicer or kinder. Only we, the people can do that...

I thought you didn't believe in torture...

Perhaps you do, but (with respect) please don't include this Guy in your "we". I resent every government camera that I see, and resent the hidden ones even more.

I firmly believe that Orwell's "1984" should be required reading in high school. It is a vital warning to civilization, and one we seem to be forgetting.

Here, Here Guy sadly 1984 has come. And we are forgetting Thirty years late. Regards.

We in the UK have freedom of speech yes, but only when it suits our 'esteemed' leaders eg you cannot carryout unauthorised protests (including peaceful protests) near Parliament, yet the MPs inside parliament have parliamentary privilege so can express their 'opinions' without legal/civil recourse by others to large extent.

I was given some wise advice about 'freedom of speech,' which i still try and follow now i am 'grown up'. Whatever you are going to say judge whether you really should say it/and or how you say it, based upon what would a good mother with commonsense advise if you told her what you intended saying. That is not restricting FOS, as any good mother would express her opinion very vehemently if it necessary, but likewise would not intentionally antagonise others if it not got a justified purpose.

I now see it as you can slide further on bull('faecal matter'), than you can on a gravel path, meaning make life easy not difficult.

However if folk do not like my views or anyone elses then tough luck, unless me or they are intimidating, or restricting others by expressing of FOS, if so then the full weight of law should be exerted against the perpetrator.

Maybe i could go all diplomatic and use a Groucho Marx phrase "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others".

When it comes Free Speech as practical (as opposed to theoretical) right, I think back to the Clash song "Know Your Rights".

To quote:
You have the right to free
Speech as long as you're not
Dumb enough to actually try it

It's a nice song that looks at the rights we think we have, comparing them to the rights that exist in practice. It's an old song - and I wish I could say it was dated, but it's not.

Really? I imagine life in North Korea would be very close to it, but those of us who are fortunate enough to live in western democracies enjoy enormous freedom and go about our lives for the most part free from fear. But human nature is deeply flawed as any number of atrocities will testify, so we do need the constraint of the law to keep civilisation running smoothly. To me, to demand total freedom of speech is as unreasonable as demanding total freedom of action. We have to accept limits on our freedom in return for enjoying the benefits of civilisation - that's the deal.