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posted by FatPhil on Friday March 29 2019, @09:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the Think-what-you-like dept.

Free speech has potentially been taken down another peg in NZ with a woman arrested for a Facebook post about the Christchurch shootings. The woman has been arrested on suspicion of "inciting racial disharmony" after a message was posted to her Facebook page. She faces a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment or a NZ$7000 fine and living in a society that condemns free speech. However, given the recent ruling in Australia that 'Muslim' is not a 'race' she may get off given that the law she is accused of breaking is of one who “publishes or distributes written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting” to other people . This means that it may very well be legal at this time to insult people of a specific religion.

Decades ago they relied on neighbors to find subversives; now they just check social media.

[Ed.: The above is a paraphrase of the linked-to story, not a direct quote, and with submitter's editorialising left in. -- FP (honouring people's right to free speech ;-) )]

Also covered by the NZ Herald.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday March 30 2019, @03:16PM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday March 30 2019, @03:16PM (#822373) Journal

    Wow. And, congrats. You recognize that there are no "free rights". That is, rights always come with responsibilities. I hope you realize that most Americans fail to understand that, as well. If you were to browse Youtube for videos about activists vs cops, you'll even hear cops claiming that they have some kind of "right" to search, to identify, to do this or that. The cops don't have any such rights - they have authorities and responsibilities, but they have no more "rights" than the turkey they are harassing at the moment.

    In a dispute with a cop (perhaps over searching my vehicle) I am far less likely to mention "rights", than I am to mention "authority". As in, "You have no authority to search my vehicle without my permission." Such an objection carries more authority, than some lame claim to "rights".

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