Freedom of Speech in England - a Case Study

We like to think that we have freedom of speech in England. There were some boundaries. The English law of Libel is repressive and wide open to abuse by rich criminals like Maxwell. He was an enthusiastic abuser. Then there is the Official Secrets Act 1911 especially Section 2 thereof which makes it a serious criminal offence to tell the world whether Her Majesty's Prime Minister drinks tea or not. In practice these things made little or no difference to private conversations but did limit the media. Of course they had their own agendas as well which they didn't bother to tell us about. The BBC in recent years has hardly bothered to pretend that they are not left wing subversives in spite of their formal obligation to inform, instruct and entertain.

The left has made its The Long March Through The Institutions and is now enforcing its evils on us. A hatred of the truth is one. Here we have an ugly example of recent intolerance which has distinct similarities to book burning  in Nazi Germany and earlier horrors involving witch burning.

Doctor Ellis is a lecturer in Russian literature at Leeds University and seems to be a perfectly reasonable sort of man who is being subjected to vilification because he is not a left winger and has said so. An unspecified number of students are annoyed because he has said that blacks are less intelligent on average. None of them have said anything about the evidence which is entirely adequate. There is no reason given to suggest that they even know that there is evidence. The Telegraph's reporter does not seem to know either. At all events she does not mention it. The alternative explanation is that it proves that Doctor Ellis is right. One sound source is The Bell Curve which was also subjected to abuse then flushed down the Memory Hole.

I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it - is the essence of Voltaire's view according to Evelyn Beatrice Hall
This applies until Jews object.

 

'Racist' academic sent home
Frank Ellis specialises in Russian literature, must therefore be fluent in Russian and was in special forces presumably the SAS. This suggests very strongly that he has brains and did interesting things. Notice that he "claims" while students "say" - see Words as Propaganda Tools

QUOTE
The lecturer who claims that black people are, on average, less intelligent that whites was suspended by Leeds University yesterday.

Frank Ellis was told to stay at home and make no further comment. He now faces disciplinary action.

The lecturer claims that his views are backed by research in America showing that the average IQ of black people is lower than that of white people and that he has the right to voice his opinions.
UNQUOTE

Since then the Commission for Racial Equality has reminded the university of its legal duty, as a public body, to promote good relations between people of different racial groups and West Yorkshire Police have begun an investigation.

But students say his views are inflammatory and insulting and that they cannot be sure that he will not discriminate against them on grounds of colour.

In a strongly-worded statement yesterday Roger Gair, the university's secretary, said Mr Ellis, 53, had "recklessly jeopardised fulfilment of the university's obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000".

By publicising his personal views on race and other matters Mr Ellis had "acted in breach of our equality and diversity policy" in a way that was "wholly at odds with our values", he alleged. Mr Ellis was also accused of failing to comply with reasonable requests from his employer, such as apologising for the distress his remarks had caused and refusing to undertake not to repeat them.

The statement represents an about-turn by the university, which three weeks ago refused to intervene, saying its lecturers had the right to their personal opinions and that it could act only if there was evidence of discrimination, which the students did not allege.

Since then the Commission for Racial Equality has reminded the university of its legal duty, as a public body, to promote good relations between people of different racial groups and West Yorkshire Police have begun an investigation.

The row began when Mr Ellis, an expert in Russian literature, gave an interview to the Leeds Student newspaper in which he said he was a supporter of Enoch Powell and that he would support repatriation if done "humanely".

In a subsequent interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Ellis, a former special forces soldier, claimed that multi-culturalism was doomed to failure because it was "based on the lie that all people, races and cultures are equal and that no one race or culture is better than any other".

 

Errors & omissions, broken links, cock ups, over-emphasis, malice [ real or imaginary ] or whatever; if you find any I am open to comment.

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Updated on Tuesday, 11 February 2014 22:41:50