-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-= purpose in. publicizing it; censorship in uk.* newsgroups -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The postings to uk.misc. newsgroup generated a very defensive reaction from
Usenet. readers in the UK. So much so, that they tried strenuously to
suppress what. was being said, both by breaking the rules of netiquette in
their responses on. the forum, and directly by action to revoke the account
from which the postings. were issued.

Yet. the postings were within the normal boundaries of behaviour for
uk.misc,. and other less partisan spectators did not see justice in the
censorship which was effected, as the following. excerpt shows;

:Karen. Lofstrom (lofstrom@lava.net) wrote
:>It does seem that the. frequency and the size of his posts are
:>approaching net abuse. However,. IMHO, they aren't quite there yet. If
:>his postmaster were to act in this. instance, it would raise troubling
:>censorship. issues.

The inescapable conclusion of. the censorship effected on the uk.*
newsgroups is that the British are intent on their wrongdoing. remaining
concealed, and therefore. seek to subvert and suppress freedom of speech,
not only in their own country where the media shows xenophobic bias. and
bile against all perceived enemies within and without,. but also in other
countries which have their own statutes to guarantee the. basic human right
of. free speech.

It is absolutely necessary to bring their hate. campaign out into the open
where it can. be placed under scrutiny and the harassers seen for what they
are. That is the only way of making it impossible for the security. services
to carry it. out. There is a wider dimension, though. Xenophobia as
demonstrated by. British people and institutions over the last few years
belongs to the. same stable as racial hatred. In one case, two youths on a
Tube train made that racism explicit. by referring to their victim as a
"soft toy, not up to British Standards".. Doubtless others victimize partly
on the. basis of race (isn’t it odd that they chose to torment someone who
is not ethnically. English?) while expressing their abuse in terms of
another genetic. attribute, namely mental illness. All xenophobia on a
genetic basis is. wrong, but while racial insults are illegal, abusing the
mentally ill is neither against the. law nor subject to similar condemnation
when. it is exposed.

7103