Oxford Union defends free speech - shock horror!

The Oxford Union is one of the world's greatest university debating societies. Its traditions go back literally centuries. Oxford University was founded more than 500 years before the United States!

Countless leading politicians from around the world have made their mark at Oxford and subsequently gone on to great things in public life. It is therefore somewhat curious that a British MP (elected member of the British Parliament) has exhibited such disgust and resigned from the Oxford Union because it has chosen to uphold.... free speech!

The debating Union at Oxford University appears to have upset the representative for the constituency of New Forest East, Dr. Julian Lewis, by inviting a couple of media-derided speakers to address its students. The invitees concerned are Nick Griffin (Leader of the British Nationalist Party) and the controversial historian and ex-jailbird, David Irving.

Dr. Lewis said the students should be "ashamed of themselves" for inviting Griffin and Irving to speak at the Union. But this sanctimonious attitude appears a very unsatisfactory one to Phaedrus, who is all for free speech from ALL sides above all else. Let the Truth prevail! It's the ONLY thing that counts and if we have no access to the Truth and certain subjects are off-limits for debate, then we are become totally unable to make the right decisions as to which course our country should take. Now which group of people would THAT benefit? I think we can all guess.

Dr. Lewis, the problem is that if people like you walk away from open debate, or otherwise try to stifle or quash it, then reasonable people who quite sensibly no longer obtain their news from the mainstream media will conclude that you have something to hide; you have no answer against those who assert otherwise and are unwilling or unable to put up evidence to counter their views...

It's really very simple, Dr. Lewis (assuming you ARE a real doctor....?)

- Falsehoods are easily exposed in open debate - so why fight it?

- The Truth needs no laws to support or protect it - so why enact them?

- Only Liars fear the Truth and as Charles Peguy once observed, "He that does not bellow the Truth when he KNOWS the Truth is the accomplice of liars and forgers."

Those students of the Oxford Union Debating Society who invited Griffin and Irving to speak were 100% right to do so. They don't need scumbags like you, who clearly have no respect whatsoever for fundamental human rights. Who the Hell anointed YOU as a Censor, anyway? Do you think that students over the age of majority who could conceivably at any time be drafted off to die in foreign wars need YOUR protection and guidance as to what they should be exposed to??? GO screw yourself, you self-righteous, sanctimonious, PoS.

Taking their cue from the 'inspiration' provided by Lewis, a rabble of several hundred protesters, bussed in from as far away as London and Birmingham, nearly succeeded in destroying the event. 60 of them reportedly burst through into the debating theater in a blatant attempt to deny the speakers the opportunity to present their case. Fortunately, the police were able to move them, but the debate was delayed by 90 minutes and had to be slimmed down as the protesters prevented many of the attendees from gaining entrance.

The lesson, dear readers is clear: these radicals have been, for decades, labeling those of us on the Right as extremists, when in reality, THEY are the extremists. When has one single right-wing blogger ever tried to suggest that the lefties should be denied their voice? Never, to my knowledge! So who is the REAL threat to democracy and freedom? The events at Oxford University this afternoon show without question that the gravest danger facing Western democracies today are Liberal Thought Terrorists who believe theirs are the only views which deserve to be aired. this is a deeply disturbing trend not only in Europe, but the US as well. Let us continue to exercise our right to free speech, for if we do not use it we will surely lose it.