We have right to express opinions

THE letter of 22 August which sought to conflate some WORDS of Boris Johnson with an ATTACK on a local family is a prime example of how, when they read or hear something they do not like, some people try to grab the moral high ground by denouncing it as antisemitic, homophobic, racist, sexist, transphobic or, in the latest ‘catch-all’ term, hate speech.

Whatever the intention, the effect is to prevent any further discussion of an issue in case one finds oneself labelled with one of these pejorative tags.

This is what happened at a meeting at which I was present on 24 May.

A speaker made some comments about possible election malpractice in their ward.

It was immediately denounced as ‘racist’ by one of the signatories of the letter.

There were some 20 people present if corroboration is required.

And the ward in question? It’s the one which now has a councillor who confessed to the police that he had voted twice in the election, but does not think it a resigning issue.

Our right to freedom of expression is protected by Article 10 of the European Convention.

Freedom of expression means having the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

Anything which undermines this gives succour to parties of the extreme right because history tells us that when they come to power the first thing they ban is freedom of speech.

Tolerance means respecting the rights of others to hold and express a viewpoint different from our own.

It is what enables people with opposing views to live together in harmony.

It does not mean privileging some groups in society over the rest of us and so making their behaviour immune from comment. Les May Crescent Road ●●This picture of Cowm Reservoir beach was taken by Paul Watson. Email your pictures to us at rochdaleobserver@ menmedia.co.uk or upload them to flickr.com/groups/rochdalepics