Freedom of Speech Missconceptions
The United Kingdoms Human Rights act 1988 regarding freedom of expression does not grant a person the right to say exactly what they think, and for good reason if you ask me. It is so very frequently taken out of context.
How anybody can think it is right to make serious racial comments is beyond me. Humans are humans, regardless of race or religion.
However, a rather serious question arises from an incident in the workplace. Who decides what comments are deemed to be racist? If jovial banter between two colleagues, one black and one white can be determined sever enough for the dismissal of said white person based on complaints made from people (also white might i add) not involved in the banter in the first place then I’m sorry, but there is something seriously wrong with the system. If either of the people involved had found it offensive then fair enough, but that wasn’t the case. I’m not in any way approving of what was said, but to the best of my knowledge it was said in jest.
At the end of the day, the comments made would in no way constitute to inciting racial hatred, so no Laws were broken, and the two people concerned did not have a problem with it. Why then, was a person dismissed from work?
Values and Behaviors. If I hear that thrown around at work one more time I’m going to crack. They seem to be under the impression that it basically means you have to act like sheep. No. We are all individuals. The way I speak to one person is to an extent completely different to the way I would speak to another, because people are not the same, what one person is offended by another sees as a bit of fun. The interpretation of it should be to respect the values and behaviors of the individual, not to try and get an entire workforce to act like clones never saying anything just in case there is somebody 50 miles away that may not like it.
