Sentinel comment: Make BNP debate issues
TOMORROW night's appearance on BBC Question Time by BNP leader Nick Griffin has presented his party with a substantial publicity coup.
The inevitable debate over whether he should or should not be allowed on the programme has taken up thousands of column inches in dozens of national newspapers.
People who love politics appear to be talking about little else. But the decision to allow Griffin to appear on the BBC is correct – although not for the spurious legal reasons put forward by the Corporation's lawyers.
Rather, ordinary grown-ups should not be "protected" from political debate. This is 2009 – and people can make up their own minds about the great issues of our day.
Here in Stoke-on-Trent we know, from bitter experience, where that may lead. However the fact locals have so little faith in their council they have seen fit to elect nine BNP members, should not lead us to support a TV ban.
Similarly though, it should never stop us working hard to reveal the BNP for what it really is: A self-serving band of bigots who are a blight on our city and society.
T he best antidote to the overwhelming cynicism which has led people in Stoke-on-Trent to vote BNP is to hear Nick Griffin's views. We sincerely hope QT viewers will witness Griffin try to justify his distaste for black and mixed-race Britons.
It would be helpful if he was asked why his strident anti-crime party has several members with convictions for violence. There should also be serious debate about the innate bigotry which runs through all his party's policies.
For if this happens, then some of the desperate individuals who put their crosses in the BNP box may realise what they are really voting for.
3 Comments
by Arfur Toke Rayt, TUNSTALL
Thursday, October 22 2009, 3:31PM
“Let's get one thing clear, BNP or no BNP. I am one of countless silent millions who will not accept any people or culture that base their beliefs on stone-age religious dogma to ruin the one man one woman democracy that has been fought for the last one thousand years. I am all for other people coming here but only if they allow their children or rub along with, mix in with and marry the rest of us. The offspring of such people will then talk English, and be as British as anyone else. If I emigrated to, say, Australia then that's what I would do. Why else would I go there? That though is not what many people who come to this country want. They want to have their own completely separate culture, they wish to dominate us with that culture and have no sense of what it means to be British. If you don't believe me try getting one of your sons to marry a girl from a religiously inspired family and wait for her to be disowned assaulted or even worse by her own psychopathically medieval brothers, uncles or parents. Why are the BNP called racist when religious people are by far the most racist and separatist people in the world. Why don't the media, including the Sentinel, point out this shameful hypocrisy?”
by johntoe, ex Stokie, gone north
Thursday, October 22 2009, 12:45PM
“OH, and WHY is it that SOME people automatically assume that if one detests the BNP and EVERYTHING they stand for, then one supports religious extremists? or is a 'loony lefty'? or doesnt love ones country?
Whatever problems this country has the BNP are NOT the answer, we ALL want what is best for our country, but if you think handing over power to a bunch of racists bigots is the way forward, I suggest you read some history,”
by Johntoe, EX Stokie, moved up north
Wednesday, October 21 2009, 10:41AM
“I agree, Griffin SHOULD be on question time, I am looking forward to it, I hope he is given a grilling and exposed before the entire nation as the racist bigot that he is, "give him enough rope" etc,
Sadly I doubt many of his supporters will be watching, cant see political debate being something that would interest them, ( too many big words)
I am ALMOST ashamed to tell people I am from Stoke, ( born and bred and lived there for 55 of my 56 years)
I KNOW stokies are better than this,
AND I also object to their use of the spitfire etc to spread their lies, MY grandfather fought in WW2, he fought to defend his country AGAINST people who think like Griffin and his band of thugs, let him go on question time, one thing is certain should THEY ever gain power there would be no programmes like question time, because there would be no political debate or democracy,”