Comment is Free
A post from me has just gone up at the Guardian's Comment is Free about the latest terror shennanigans. I await the flames with interest. Comment is Free can be a bit of a zoo. I remember Holly's blogs on there used to get all sorts of madcap goings-on. Last time I got picked up by the Guardian news blog I ended up with some lunatic repeatedly emailing me and demanding that I apologise for ''rejoicing in suicide bombings in Jerusalem'', because I was a ''Zionist bitch'', which was odd, as I was protesting 90 days detention without trial in the UK at the time. For the record, I don't rejoice in any bomb going off anywhere, for any reason. Which is kind of the point of everything I do.
It's a shame when it all goes tonto and shouty at CiF, because there are often some great discussions in the comments. Recently I enjoyed the energetic debate on The Lyrical Terrorist
( I'd blogged about her last last weekend) and right I'm now following the comments after a great post by Timothy Garton Ash (on a similar subject to my blog, in fact, I got held back so his could run first).
Just written something for another paper this weekend, let's see if they use it. I'm glad I am back writing again. I missed it. I missed you, too, dear readers.
UPDATE: Hmm, two people seem to quite like it so far. It's a good job I've got to go out, otherwise the temptation is to sit and refresh the comment page all day. This is, however, sad, especially when the sun is shining.
UPDATE 2: Hooray, it's all very civilised. Meanwhile, encouraging views on the BBC website where a similar thread is developing...
Oh God, I hope they listen to us all.
It's a shame when it all goes tonto and shouty at CiF, because there are often some great discussions in the comments. Recently I enjoyed the energetic debate on The Lyrical Terrorist
( I'd blogged about her last last weekend) and right I'm now following the comments after a great post by Timothy Garton Ash (on a similar subject to my blog, in fact, I got held back so his could run first).
Just written something for another paper this weekend, let's see if they use it. I'm glad I am back writing again. I missed it. I missed you, too, dear readers.
UPDATE: Hmm, two people seem to quite like it so far. It's a good job I've got to go out, otherwise the temptation is to sit and refresh the comment page all day. This is, however, sad, especially when the sun is shining.
UPDATE 2: Hooray, it's all very civilised. Meanwhile, encouraging views on the BBC website where a similar thread is developing...
Oh God, I hope they listen to us all.
Labels: civil liberties, comment is free, terrorism, writing
posted by Rachel at 12:12 pm
Well at least sitting and refreshing the comment page is better than looking at visitor stats...
Have added to the BBC thread and will look out for your piece on the weekend.
Henry
Have gone and posted at CIF. They might let it through...
Well said. But "they" will take no notice of you at all. Either on CiF or in Parliament. Unless, of course, you are saying exactly what "they" want you to and you weren't.
You are stating the obvious but, sadly talking to sheep. I watched your performance at the Home Affairs Committee and thought you ran rings around them. Yet I must confess to being very weary of this debate. My defence mechanism is my acidic sense of humour that keeps me sane. New Labour is an ancien régime long past its sell by date and you are becoming Madame Voltaire!
They won't take much notice of me, no, but they will take notice if loads and loads of people make an enormous bloody great fuss, write to their MPs, join Amnesty, Liberty, write to the papers, and kick off generally. I throw my hat into the ring and squeak on in the hope that others will join me.
Bastards. They've got to be stopped somehow, and V for Vendetta was a bit extreme.
I get the sneaky suspicion that if the 56 days was allowed that it would be used to arrest suspects and the time then used to try and build a case against them. This approach is arsebackwards. Furthermore, as we have seen in Pakistan Imran Khan has been arrested on terrorist related offences and all he is seeking is democratic elections.
I am not convinced that so-called safeguards such as the Home Secretary having to authorise the extension and having a tame judge rubber stamp decisions in any way protects civil liberties.
Keep up the good fight. I am with you all the way.
great to have you back misses...i am just back too!!...oh how i remember those days of refreshing cif posts...glad to hear you doing so well...hope you are doing well inside too xxxxx