Nigel Farage
I quite like Nigel Farage, I may not always agree wit his views but he is always eloquent and entertaining and has a brilliant way of always getting his point across. Without him UKIP would be a much smaller, much worse off party.
I am watching an episode of Question Time with him in at the moment and he has just been asked a question about banning the Burka and has come out with the most fantastic point of view.
Paraphrased: I can't walk into a bank wearing a balaclava how is it right someone should be allowed to wear a burka in a bank.
This is then later expanded to motorcycle helmets in Tescos and petrol stations been needed to be removed and then photo ID been needed to enter the QT recording.
If a woman in a burka walked into a bank and was asked to show her face and refused, and so in return was refused service and removed from the building, would this be acceptable? Now replace the woman with a man in a balaclava. [Or maybe a man in a burka?]
I remember a case being reported a few years ago about a woman teacher being fired for covering her face and the students not being able to understand her. I also remember an unfair dismissal trial, unfortunately I do not remember the result.
I also remember Jack Straw getting into a lot of hassle a few years back about asking a woman in a public meeting to remove the veil covering her face. Was this a fair thing to ask. She came to his meeting, no one would bat an eye at someone being asked to remove a motorbike helmet at an MPs advice surgery, but a woman asked to uncover her face......
Now I feel like I should say two things here.
1, I don't like the idea of banning things and legislating about what a woman can and cannot wear is as daft as this.
2, I do not count religion as a valid argument. People are (or should be) free to do whatever they damn please. I hold the two cases of a woman wearing a burka and a man wearing a balaclava in the same light and with the same weight. If a person is not free to do whatever they please, if they fear for their safety or lives because of some action they may take, then that should be a matter for the police.
So this kind of stopped being about Nigel Farage, but he is the inspiration behind this line of thought. It is by no means conclusive, but it is something to consider. One particular argument to take into consideration with all the other arguments and points of view others and I have.
I have started writing a post about Nick Griffin, but I really don't know if I can be bothered to finish it. It is basically about him starting to appear to become a decent guy, constantly hassled and harassed by everyone else. Party invites revoked, eggs thrown at him, plenty of abuse from and on the BBC. Nothing judgemental on my part, just a few observations.
I am currently temporarily unemployed and have no money in a small town where there is not much to do anyway, so I have a lot of time on my hands to watch and listen and read and think about things.
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