Trump's "hate speech:" Great Britain Steps Up

Did you see it? The article in the 12/10/15 New York Times entitled, “Petition In Britain Calls for Trump To Be Denied Entry into Country.” Amazing! The Brits nailed it.

If you missed it here are some highlights.

“More than 360,000 people,” (in Britain) “angered by Donald J. Trump’s call to ban the entry of Muslims into the United States have signed a petition accusing him of hate speech and asking the government to bar him from the country.”

 The 360,000 signatures easily surpass the 100,000 supporters required by British law to demand that Parliament consider debating the issue.

And the issue is “hate speech.” That, in Britain, no matter how rich and famous you are, even if you are a presidential candidate, is considered “unacceptable behavior.”

The article notes that, Trump’s “call for the United States to shut its borders to Muslims has prompted an outcry by leading political and cultural figures across the political spectrum around the world.” Trump’s “hate speech” is seen as potentially “inflaming tensions,” thereby increasing the threat of radical Islam. 

My English friend, Sallie, kept me posted yesterday. First she alerted me that the petition had been put on the Internet; then she kept me abreast of the ever-increasing numbers. At one point she wrote that the site, overloaded with responses, had crashed. They got it up and running again and by the end of the day they had acquired the 360,000. (According to the Times today, 12/11/15, there are now 500,000 signatures supporting this petition.)

Sallie also wrote that it was her understanding that, if Parliament passes on this, Trump cannot be barred in general. It would happen only if he actually flew into Heathrow or, for that matter, anywhere else in the UK. He would be forbidden entry through immigration.

The article goes on to describe the outrage of British law enforcement officials over Trump’s statement on the MSNBC “Morning Joe” program, that “parts of London and Paris were so radicalized that the police were afraid for their lives.”

In addition, the article reports that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland has “withdrawn Mr. Trump’s status as a business ambassador to Scotland, while Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen has stripped Mr. Trump of an honorary degree it bestowed on him in 2010 in recognition of his business achievements.”  

Sometimes the chickens do come home to roost. We will see what Parliament does. I am thinking maybe we should have stuck with the Brits in 1776.

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!2/11/15:  FYI: The Times reports that the Trump push back against Scottish disapproval is a threat to withdraw some 300 million of his investments in that country.
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