Free Speech and the Oxford Union
The Oxford Union has voted 2-1 to invite the BNP leader Nick Griffin and Holocaust denier “historian” David Irving speak in a debate. My reaction is simple: So what?
Mike Ion thinks that this is wrong because it “will only help legitimise the BNP”. Will it really? No. The Oxford Union is a student society, for crying out loud, and a debating society with it - and debates require representatives from both sides, however repugnant you may find their views. That they have invited them gives neither the BNP and their racist ideology or David Irving and his historically inaccurate Holocaust denial any more credibility or mainstream appeal. After all, the Oxford Union passed the motion “This House would under no circumstances fight for its King and country” in 1933, and yet I bet they did go on and fight in the Second World War.
Besides, it would have been extremely ironic to have backtracked on this issue and refused to have these people speak, considering that this very debate is supposed to be about free speech!
UPDATE: Tory MP Dr Julian lewis has quit the Oxford Union over this. What an idiot. Free speech means free speech. Saying that they can’t be allowed to speak at an event because most of us disagree with them is just idiotic. Just prove that their views are wrong by beating them in debate, rather than just banning them from speaking.
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Unfortunately, they’ll have to be allowed and then ignored.