Posted on 06/01/2006 7:23:15 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Our cousins in Great Britain, from whom we inherited a language, a political culture and, most specifically, the principle of freedom of speech, are going off the deep end, to judge from the jailing of Edward Atkinson.
Here's the background. Last year, the U.K. was rocked by a high-profile abortion case. This was because the demise of "Baby A," as she became known, was photographed and videotaped. This evidence of her brutal end was widely distributed in the U.K.
The abortion took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, not far from where Mr. Atkinson lives. This veteran pro-life campaigner decided to educate the Hospital's chief executive, Ruth May, in the horrors of such events. He sent copies of the photographs and other literature to Ms. May.
Upon receiving the pictures, Ruth May complained to the authorities. The Director of Public Prosecutions, as district attorneys are known in the U.K., promptly ordered his arrest on the charge of "sending offensive materials through the mails." The policy then dragged the 75-year-old Catholic, who is nearly crippled with arthritis, from his home and held him in prison until his court date.
In court, the hospital staff recounted how the photographs had upset their delicate sensibilities. Ruth May's secretary, Christine Rogers, said she was "upset" when she opened the letter from Atkinson containing a picture of Baby A. The hospital's "Complaints and litigation manager," Karl Perryman, said that as a father of two daughters he had been quite disturbed" by the images he had been shown. Ms. May herself opined that "It is upsetting for everyone." She went on to say that "I believe people who work for the National Health Service, and particularly at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, are passionate about providing excellent care for their patients."
All except for those they abort, of course. In that case their "passion" is reserved for those who have the courage to remind them of what they are doing to tiny babies. Such pricks to their (perhaps guilty) consciences make them "upset" and "disturbed."
Atkinson himself said that he had sent the images "to educate," adding "I accept that the documentation was highly distressing. It's horrendous, monstrous and sickening but it represents the truth of what is going on in our world. Everyone in this courtroom knows that abortion is murder and no one has the guts to say it."
On the basis of the hospital staff's testimony, Mr. Atkinson was convicted and ordered to serve a month in jail. In sentencing Mr. Atkinson, District Judge Phillip Brown said "It is clear that you intended to shock and I am certain that your purpose was to cause distress and anxiety."
Somebody ought to tell the BBC, which specializes in broadcasting shocking footage from Iraq intended to cause distress and anxiety among the British public over the British troop deployments there, that these are now punishable offenses in once jolly olde England.
Mr. Atkinson was also fined 500 English pounds in court costs to be deducted directly from his pension and given a five-year anti-social behaviour order. Judge Brown warned that disobeying the order would result in five years in jail. In that case, the stalwart Mr. Atkinson replied, "you may as well lock me up and throw away the key."
He has been punished in other ways as well. The Norfolk hospital boss, Ms. May, struck him off the waiting list for a hip replacement, and now formally denies him all medical treatment save for life-threatening illnesses.
All this for having exercised his right to freedom of speech on behalf of the voiceless unborn.
I have some advice for our English cousins, at least those of the pro-life variety: someone ought to organize a postcard campaign directed at the offended hospital staff -- whose hospital apparently continues to authorize abortions, by the way. Let them complain to the police about the thousands, if not tens of thousands of postcards that they are receiving.
Ms. Ruth May Chief Executive Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gayton Road, Kings Lynn Norfolk, England PE30 4ET
Now is the time to stand with Mr. Atkinson. They can't arrest you all.
Time for FReepers to let the baby-killers know how we feel!!!
Thoughts taken to heart, thank you.
But I think I'll focus on my baby killing country first.
Then I'll worry about a foreign country.
I hope one letter won't cause too much strain...
Anyone else want Hillarycare?
One letter? From a non-citizen?
Your heart is in the right place, as I alluded to before.
Thank you, but I'll concentrate on the killing spree of my country - FIRST.
Just curious, how many letters have you sent to the USA about the babies that they kill?
I've sent a lot. Many more to come.
Over the years, I've probably sent hundreds to US legislators.
I don't know if they had any effect, but I did get a photo of President Reagan once as a result. God rest his dear soul.
You are so right. Where can letters be sent?
This is almost as asinine as the Florida laws requiring seat belts be used in cars while allowing motorcycle riders to be helmetless.
Funny thing to me the riders most vocal about helmetless riding are generally the ones a nicely painted, full face helmet would do the most to improve their appearance.
How anyone can ride, be hit in the cheek a few times with Japanese Beetles, sprayed in the head with gravel from the road shoulder when a truck weaves ahead, catch a half pound of gnats in their teeth on an evening ride, etc and not WANT to wear a helmet is a sign of a severe mental defect.
Baby A ? I'll name this one "Angel"
The address is in the second last line of the article. God bless you!
I couldn't believe that either.
Suppressing the truth in all unrighteousness..
...professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...
having such an open mind, their brain fell out...
...and then there was none.
Funny thing to me the riders most vocal about helmetless riding are generally the ones a nicely painted, full face helmet would do the most to improve their appearance.
How anyone can ride, be hit in the cheek a few times with Japanese Beetles, sprayed in the head with gravel from the road shoulder when a truck weaves ahead, catch a half pound of gnats in their teeth on an evening ride, etc and not WANT to wear a helmet is a sign of a severe mental defect.
With all due respect to a fellow Freeper......
Who are you to sit in judgement?
You used the word "assinine" and the phrase, "severe mental defect", to describe those that choose not to wear a helmet.
I would use that same word and phrase to describe your outlook on the issue.
Again, who are you to pass judgement?
No, I do not ride a scooter. Used to, long time ago.
I am real curious now........
How do you feel about me owning a gun?
How do you feel about me owning and driving not one, but TWO - SUV's?
Your post has all the taste of the typical Liberal crap - "I don't like it, therefore it is wrong - what you, as an individual wants to do matters not."
I'm with LasVegasMac here.
I'd also like to add something.
Before we even get to all of LasVegasMac's valid points, it jumped out at me that you are drawing an equivalence between choosing not to wear a helmet with killing the weak because they are inconvenient.
This shows a very Liberal-unthink style of logic (that is to say, total lack thereof).
Read anything by Theordore Dalrymple at City-Journal.org
'Wow, governments can get away with a lot when they don't have a bill of rights to deal with.'
In Britain we do have a bill of rights - it is the one that your founding fathers used as the basis for your bill of rights.
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/magna.html
Somebody ought to tell the BBC, which specializes in broadcasting shocking footage from Iraq intended to cause distress and anxiety among the British public over the British troop deployments there, that these are now punishable offenses in once jolly olde England.
This is a very important point.
This really shows the agenda based bias of the media. War is hell, but serves the cause of liberty and freedom. Abortion kills lives for money and convenience.
Protest the war and you become a media hero. Protest abortion and you wind up in jail.
'This is a very important point.'
Simply not true. The BBC never shows shocking footage from Iraq as they are not allowed to show anything graphic. There is a great difference between a public news report that is subject to the broadcasting laws and individuals who take it on themselves to target people working within the law.
It doesn't matter how strongly you feel about an issue, Britain is a democracy and if you don't like a law, lobby to get it changed, don't mount personal campaigns against those currently working within the law.
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