A modest proposal
Straying quite some way from what the Tolpuddle 'martyrs' or, come to that, Len Murray would think of as the TUC's remit, Brendan Barber has got quite agitated about 'vicious hate crimes against disabled people'. Although he comes up with some anecdotal evidence, I think his is a solution looking for a problem, for shameful though his examples are, they smack more of random victims rather than gangs of psychopaths roaming the streets looking for people with walking sticks, cerebral palsy or whatever that they might beat them up. Still less are there - as far as I am aware - papers, websites etc calling for the able bodied to rise up and attack the blind, the deaf or the club footed.
Anyway, this is what I consider the most intriguing part of Barber's intervention:
"The Government has begun to recognise this is a serious problem, and has introduced legislation to outlaw incitement to hatred on a growing number of grounds. But more needs to be done to fill in the remaining gaps. 'The police and law enforcement bodies need to understand, recognise and respond to hate crime - and attitudes in society that give rise to such violence need to be challenged head on".
OK, Brendan. What about incitement to class hatred?
Anyway, this is what I consider the most intriguing part of Barber's intervention:
"The Government has begun to recognise this is a serious problem, and has introduced legislation to outlaw incitement to hatred on a growing number of grounds. But more needs to be done to fill in the remaining gaps. 'The police and law enforcement bodies need to understand, recognise and respond to hate crime - and attitudes in society that give rise to such violence need to be challenged head on".
OK, Brendan. What about incitement to class hatred?
Labels: Unions
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on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 3:09 pm.
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As much as I don't want people to be targeted specifically on the grounds of sex, race, mobility, etc. I can't help thinking that it should be up to the court to decide on the penalty in the individual case rather that the government to decide which assaults are worse than others.
Agreed. The sad fact of the matter is that by being in the wrong place etc one can assure oneself a thorough kicking, because some people just get off on violence.
Were I to be lying on the floor spitting blood, I do not think I would really care if my assailants were punctuating their kicks with any or all of 'bally honky / kaffir / Englishman / Cockney / Tory / West Ham fan / meat eater'. Frankly...
The class hatred thing is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination, the one that dare not speak its name [insert additional Grauniad-esque cliche here].
If a political party attempts to whip up prejudice against a particular group of people (who couldn't help the circumstances they were born into) then the Left are soon demanding they be excluded from the democratic process, shaking placards outside election counts, etc, etc.
I agree with Blue Eyes as well, though. Should an assault against me be worth less of a sentence because I'm straight and white?
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