Another Voice

24 October 2009

We should think most carefully before calling for censorship in any quarter

This incident may be telling us more about the rising influence of social networking than it is about one silly newspaper article. Pace any amount of progressive modern commentary, the fact that offence is taken is not of itself proof that it was reasonably taken. You can look at the numbers — you should — but in the end you must always look at the complaint.

When it comes to the taking of offence, not every minority group has chosen the same path. Pro-Israel (and to a lesser extent pro-Palestine) groupings, like the disabled lobby, have tended to react fast, angrily and in an organised way to counter the publication of material they regard as offensive. The Irish, on the other hand, and to some extent British Indians, have tended to react in a more relaxed manner. I’d argue that making citizens (and journalists) nervous about voicing criticism, for fear of angry recriminations, builds up real but buried resentments against your group. We gays have a choice. I’d like us to go the Irish way: smile at the poofta jokes when they’re funny, shrug our shoulders at the insults and act grown up.

So, speaking for myself, should I die in baffling circumstances, friends and enemies alike are invited to speculate on an underlying health problem, hitherto undisclosed, caused when once I attempted to ski naked down the slopes of Mont Blanc with a bunch of gladioli stuck up my bottom. Publish this — ignore the feelings of my hordes of fans and grieving relatives. And see if I care.

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emjaydub

October 22nd, 2009 9:57pm Report this comment

This isn't about taking offence. Most of us as individuals can turn the other cheek to Ms Moir. What I question is the right of anyone (not only Ms Moir but her editors) to go uncriticised for spouting homophobic views in a world where - by way of a recent example of an unisolated incident - a man was kicked to death in Trafalgar Square by teenagers shouting homophobic abuse. Jan Moir and her editors bear a particular responsibility because the Daily Mail is a high circulation newspaper which has a certain influence on the general public.

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