Second quote of the day 17th October 2018

"It appears that some hate incidents are more equal than others!"

This quote is from David Robertson, who reported Police Scotland (and the Scottish government)  to themselves for hate speech because elements of their campaign against hate was perceived as stigmatising and encouraging hate against religious people.

The police duly dismissed his complaint on the basis that they - Police Scotland - consider that

"The motivation of the Scottish Government campaign is not based on malice or ill will towards any social group."

As David Robertson points out here, there is a serious inconsistency in this argument - Policer Scotland's own criteria state that:

  • A hate crime is any crime which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and ill-will towards a social group.
  • A hate incident is any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and ill-will towards a social group but which does not constitute a criminal offence (non-crime incident).

 In David Robertson's words,

"It is a daft criteria but it is the one on which the police say they operate – except apparently when it involves themselves." 

E,g, in any other case, something becomes a hate incident if the victim or "any other person" perceive it as such, but if the people accused of a hate incident are the Scottish government or Police Scotland they can clear themselves by saying "No, because we were not motivated by malice or ill-will."

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that he has a point.

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