[democracyforum]

My friend told me his Jewish grandfather, who lived in Britain, could do nothing if he was refused a job or discriminated against in the workplace officially.

So did racism go unpunished before the Act was passed ? Is this true ?

[122025278]

Sadly I imagine it must have been.

Now we have the disgraceful situation where people are sent to jail for posting remarks that some people find racially offensive on Twitter while violent criminals are given community orders. The situation you describe is what I think of as actual racism, not someone being offended.

[ellakrystina]

Yeah, by the looks of it. Necrophilia was also legal until the Sexual Offences Act 2003 criminalised it. Damn.

[Beebumble]

To add to the list: Marital rape was legal until 1991.

[pinda.college]

Racism still goes unpunished in modern society, that's if you're not Tweeting racial hate on a public domain. It is sad that such an attitude is still adopted by human beings, and the fact that you can be killed in some parts of the world because of the colour of you skin is truly upsetting. In answer to your question, yes I do believe it was legal before that act was passed.

[Maker]

(Original post by 122025278)
Sadly I imagine it must have been.

Now we have the disgraceful situation where people are sent to jail for posting remarks that some people find racially offensive on Twitter while violent criminals are given community orders. The situation you describe is what I think of as actual racism, not someone being offended.

Why shouldn't people who break the law be sent to prison? Are you saying law breakers should not be punished?

[Blue1878]

(Original post by 122025278)
Sadly I imagine it must have been.

Now we have the disgraceful situation where people are sent to jail for posting remarks that some people find racially offensive on Twitter while violent criminals are given community orders. The situation you describe is what I think of as actual racism, not someone being offended.

People do not going to jail for 'posting remarks that some people find racially offensive on twitter'... if someone is going to be imprisoned for something they put on twitter it's got to be pretty extreme. I think there are some areas where freedom of speech should not apply, racism is one of them - there should be zero tolerance to racism. Go and tell 6 million Jews that Hitler had a legal right to whip up racial tensions in Germany because of his 'freedom of speech'.

[122025278]

(Original post by Blue1878)
People do not going to jail for 'posting remarks that some people find racially offensive on twitter'... if someone is going to be imprisoned for something they put on twitter it's got to be pretty extreme. I think there are some areas where freedom of speech should not apply, racism is one of them - there should be zero tolerance to racism. Go and tell 6 million Jews that Hitler had a legal right to whip up racial tensions in Germany because of his 'freedom of speech'.

Someone using the n word or the p word on Twitter is inciting racial tensions? So (lots of) people are allowed to call Wayne Rooney a ****ing ugly ****, wish him dead, call his wife a whore, say disgusting things about his kids, they stupidly allow that yet as soon as someone mentions the n or p word about someone, a dawn raid is organised? It's ridiculous.

[122025278]

(Original post by Maker)
Why shouldn't people who break the law be sent to prison? Are you saying law breakers should not be punished?

OK by your logic lets make the penalty for shoplifting life in prison without parole. Wait, you disagree with that? You're saying law breakers should not be punished?

Secondly we have to agree the law was broken.

Thirdly should the law even exist in the first place.

[Bonged.]

(Original post by democracyforum)
My friend told me his Jewish grandfather, who lived in Britain, could do nothing if he was refused a job or discriminated against in the workplace officially.

So did racism go unpunished before the Act was passed ? Is this true ?

Indeed. Satan lives.

[Rhadamanthus]

Everything is permitted until an Act of Parliament restricts it. That is the underlying principle of Common Law. The ability to discriminate based on racial origin was legal prior to 1965, yes.

[Maker]

(Original post by 122025278)
OK by your logic lets make the penalty for shoplifting life in prison without parole. Wait, you disagree with that? You're saying law breakers should not be punished?

Secondly we have to agree the law was broken.

Thirdly should the law even exist in the first place.

I think you don't know what you are talking about. The penalty for theft is not life imprisonment.

No-one cares if you think the law has been broken, the law is made by judges, unless you are a judge who cares.

[whofan]

OP, what do you mean by this question? do you mean was it acceptable for people to use their discernment when hiring people or letting them into their establishments?