Cancel Culture

[Microbeman]

- I was perusing thru The Daily Fail this morning - and came across this article about Ricky Gervais - a very outspoken comedian - telling it like it is - but then looking to be 'Cancelled' by 1.7 Billion members of a religious cult - where 'Cancelled' could really - literally mean 'Cancelled!' - what a brave man - although some might see that bravery as foolishness - I applaud him -

'What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?': Ricky Gervais ridicules furious backlash at teacher who 'showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon' to class

• Mr Gervais, an atheist, has mocked protests outside West Yorkshire School saying: It's 2021 for f**k's sake'
• Batley Grammar School closed to all students at last minute amid ongoing row over RE teacher's lesson
• Amateur rugby player, in his late 20s, had trained to teach in the mid-2010s and hailed his 'fantastic' job
• But 'burly Yorkshire lad' allegedly showed cartoon of Prophet Muhammad at Batley Grammar School
• He has been suspended from his job and is getting police advice after incident this week
• Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has now condemned the death threats made against the teacher
• ** Are you a parent of a child at Batley Grammar School?
• Ricky Gervais has today ridiculed Muslims angry with a teacher given death threats after allegedly showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to students, declaring: 'What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?'.
  
  The atheist British comedian, 59, has mocked the protesters who have gathered outside Batley Grammar School demanding the unnamed teacher is sacked for blasphemy, forcing the headteacher to keep 980 children at home.
  
  Mr Gervais, a well known defender of free speech also famed for his own outrageous and often offensive jokes, tweeted to his 14.5million followers: 'Blasphemy? F***ing Blasphemy? It's 2021 for f**k's sake. What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?'.
  
  The creator of The Office, After Life and Extras, was backed by BBC broadcaster Nicky Campbell, who said Mr Gervais' tweet was about the 'lunacy of blasphemy', branding it a 'victimless crime' while rowing with a critic of the comedian. One commentator called Gervais' tweet: 'An insult to the Islamic community worldwide'.
  
  He is famed for being outspoken on Twitter, especially scathing remarks about religion, saying previously: 'Imagine if you carried on believing in Santa and the tooth fairy into adulthood. And even killed & started wars over it. Haha. Imagine that'. On another occasion he wrote: 'Everyone has the right to believe anything they want. And everyone else has the right to find it f***ing ridiculous'.
  
  Today it was revealed that a petition started by students of the teacher suspended by Batley Grammar School has been signed by thousands of people - at a rate of one per second - as it was revealed he was forced to flee his home because of death threats.
• The 'burly Yorkshire lad' in his 20s, who has not been named, is getting support from police after he allegedly showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad as the headteacher today kept 980 children at home after 50 Muslim protesters from outside the area turned up for a second day.
  
  
  
  +23
  Mr Gervais was accused by critics of insulting Muslims around the globe
  
  Mohammed Hussain of the 'Purpose of Life' charity, which published the teacher's identity online, said he condemned violence in the name of Islam.
  
  He said he had to speak out after being asked by a radio interviewer several times whether he condoned beheadings and apparently failing to condemn them.
  
  He told Mail Online: 'I was shocked and upset at the questions. I couldn't understand why I was being asked about beheadings.
  
  'I was trying to say that I was against beheadings and that the Prophet said that if you were to kill one innocent person you were killing Mankind. I am against any type of violence in the name of Islam and do not support the beheadings that have taken place.'
  
  Some of his students have launched a petition trying to save his job, which has been signed by more than 8,500 people.
  
  People who backed the campaign to save his job have described him as a 'good man' and a 'diligent teacher' who is 'respectful of all religions'. Others said the school must stand by him, insisting he was being 'bullied out' by 'radicals'.
  
  One Muslim parent signed the petition, named Mohammed J, wrote: 'I would like to convey my support for the school and also the teacher concerned. He has taught my daughter and she speaks very highly of him. I would not hesitate to see him teach her again. I am confident that the teacher concerned did not mean any offence and I hope following an investigation he returns to his role at the school.'
  
  Another signatory said: 'He is loved by many students. Muslim and non Muslim. Batley Grammar stand up for one of your own. Don't lose a good teacher'.
  
  Protesters managed to close the school today but none of the demonstrators MailOnline spoke to this morning were parents of children there, and had travelled to Batley from Dewsbury, Bradford and Leeds to join a smaller group of locals social media and WhatsApp groups. Many have pledged to protest there every day until he is sacked.
  
  Education secretary Gavin Williamson has condemned the protests and said schools must be free to show 'challenging or controversial' materials in class. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was 'very disturbing'that the teacher has been forced into hiding.
  
  The amateur rugby player, trained to teach in the mid-2010s after going to university in the north of England, and now lives in the area close to his West Yorkshire school with his partner. Recently he described his love of his job and helping educate young people from his area.
  
  His neighbour, who is concerned for her own safety after protesters published his name online, has told MailOnline that he left his home at 9.30am yesterday and was rushed into a black vehicle. It is not known if it was an unmarked police car.
  
  She added: 'I saw him and his family leaving in a rush yesterday. They got into a black car. A car which belongs to them is still at the front. They seemed in a hurry and they haven't come back last night and are not here today. I have phoned the police myself because I am worried in case there is any trouble as I live above them and I have got a baby. I can't go and stay with my parents because of Covid.'
  
  The row of the teacher's RE lesson continues as:
• Ministers speak out to defend 'free speech' and demand people protesting outside the school must go home and let the school and council investigate;
• Protesters say they will come every day and have done nothing wrong by naming the teacher online, claiming if he had upset the LGBT or Jewish communities he would have already been sacked;
• Neighbours described a 'kind' and 'smiling' teacher who loved his job and saw helping students as his vocation;
• Pupils launch petition to save his job, which has also been backed by some Muslim parents whose children were taught by him;
• much more at this link - Ricky Gervais ridicules parents protesting against teacher who 'showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon' | Daily Mail Online

Well I was going to post a photo of Kathy Griffin with Trump's bloody head but the use of my photo album is unbelievably still insane compared to the previous so here is a link instead; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...iffin-cuts-Trump-s-HEAD-outrageous-stunt.html

She got really cancelled.

 

[mowood3479]

...people who refuse to engage a topic because their opposing viewpoint might be construed (by morons) as tactic approval.
what utter rubbish.
none of us are that important. Relax

 

[Microbeman]

...people who refuse to engage a topic because their opposing viewpoint might be construed (by morons) as tactic approval.
what utter rubbish.
none of us are that important. Relax

tacit?

 

[gaiusmarius]

- I was perusing thru The Daily Fail this morning - and came across this article about Ricky Gervais - a very outspoken comedian - telling it like it is - but then looking to be 'Cancelled' by 1.7 Billion members of a religious cult - where 'Cancelled' could really - literally mean 'Cancelled!' - what a brave man - although some might see that bravery as foolishness - I applaud him -

'What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?': Ricky Gervais ridicules furious backlash at teacher who 'showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon' to class

• Mr Gervais, an atheist, has mocked protests outside West Yorkshire School saying: It's 2021 for f**k's sake'
• Batley Grammar School closed to all students at last minute amid ongoing row over RE teacher's lesson
• Amateur rugby player, in his late 20s, had trained to teach in the mid-2010s and hailed his 'fantastic' job
• But 'burly Yorkshire lad' allegedly showed cartoon of Prophet Muhammad at Batley Grammar School
• He has been suspended from his job and is getting police advice after incident this week
• Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has now condemned the death threats made against the teacher
• ** Are you a parent of a child at Batley Grammar School?
• Ricky Gervais has today ridiculed Muslims angry with a teacher given death threats after allegedly showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to students, declaring: 'What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?'.
  
  The atheist British comedian, 59, has mocked the protesters who have gathered outside Batley Grammar School demanding the unnamed teacher is sacked for blasphemy, forcing the headteacher to keep 980 children at home.
  
  Mr Gervais, a well known defender of free speech also famed for his own outrageous and often offensive jokes, tweeted to his 14.5million followers: 'Blasphemy? F***ing Blasphemy? It's 2021 for f**k's sake. What next? People being punished for insulting unicorns?'.
  
  The creator of The Office, After Life and Extras, was backed by BBC broadcaster Nicky Campbell, who said Mr Gervais' tweet was about the 'lunacy of blasphemy', branding it a 'victimless crime' while rowing with a critic of the comedian. One commentator called Gervais' tweet: 'An insult to the Islamic community worldwide'.
  
  He is famed for being outspoken on Twitter, especially scathing remarks about religion, saying previously: 'Imagine if you carried on believing in Santa and the tooth fairy into adulthood. And even killed & started wars over it. Haha. Imagine that'. On another occasion he wrote: 'Everyone has the right to believe anything they want. And everyone else has the right to find it f***ing ridiculous'.
  
  Today it was revealed that a petition started by students of the teacher suspended by Batley Grammar School has been signed by thousands of people - at a rate of one per second - as it was revealed he was forced to flee his home because of death threats.
• The 'burly Yorkshire lad' in his 20s, who has not been named, is getting support from police after he allegedly showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad as the headteacher today kept 980 children at home after 50 Muslim protesters from outside the area turned up for a second day.
  
  
  
  +23
  Mr Gervais was accused by critics of insulting Muslims around the globe
  
  Mohammed Hussain of the 'Purpose of Life' charity, which published the teacher's identity online, said he condemned violence in the name of Islam.
  
  He said he had to speak out after being asked by a radio interviewer several times whether he condoned beheadings and apparently failing to condemn them.
  
  He told Mail Online: 'I was shocked and upset at the questions. I couldn't understand why I was being asked about beheadings.
  
  'I was trying to say that I was against beheadings and that the Prophet said that if you were to kill one innocent person you were killing Mankind. I am against any type of violence in the name of Islam and do not support the beheadings that have taken place.'
  
  Some of his students have launched a petition trying to save his job, which has been signed by more than 8,500 people.
  
  People who backed the campaign to save his job have described him as a 'good man' and a 'diligent teacher' who is 'respectful of all religions'. Others said the school must stand by him, insisting he was being 'bullied out' by 'radicals'.
  
  One Muslim parent signed the petition, named Mohammed J, wrote: 'I would like to convey my support for the school and also the teacher concerned. He has taught my daughter and she speaks very highly of him. I would not hesitate to see him teach her again. I am confident that the teacher concerned did not mean any offence and I hope following an investigation he returns to his role at the school.'
  
  Another signatory said: 'He is loved by many students. Muslim and non Muslim. Batley Grammar stand up for one of your own. Don't lose a good teacher'.
  
  Protesters managed to close the school today but none of the demonstrators MailOnline spoke to this morning were parents of children there, and had travelled to Batley from Dewsbury, Bradford and Leeds to join a smaller group of locals social media and WhatsApp groups. Many have pledged to protest there every day until he is sacked.
  
  Education secretary Gavin Williamson has condemned the protests and said schools must be free to show 'challenging or controversial' materials in class. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was 'very disturbing'that the teacher has been forced into hiding.
  
  The amateur rugby player, trained to teach in the mid-2010s after going to university in the north of England, and now lives in the area close to his West Yorkshire school with his partner. Recently he described his love of his job and helping educate young people from his area.
  
  His neighbour, who is concerned for her own safety after protesters published his name online, has told MailOnline that he left his home at 9.30am yesterday and was rushed into a black vehicle. It is not known if it was an unmarked police car.
  
  She added: 'I saw him and his family leaving in a rush yesterday. They got into a black car. A car which belongs to them is still at the front. They seemed in a hurry and they haven't come back last night and are not here today. I have phoned the police myself because I am worried in case there is any trouble as I live above them and I have got a baby. I can't go and stay with my parents because of Covid.'
  
  The row of the teacher's RE lesson continues as:
• Ministers speak out to defend 'free speech' and demand people protesting outside the school must go home and let the school and council investigate;
• Protesters say they will come every day and have done nothing wrong by naming the teacher online, claiming if he had upset the LGBT or Jewish communities he would have already been sacked;
• Neighbours described a 'kind' and 'smiling' teacher who loved his job and saw helping students as his vocation;
• Pupils launch petition to save his job, which has also been backed by some Muslim parents whose children were taught by him;
• much more at this link - Ricky Gervais ridicules parents protesting against teacher who 'showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon' | Daily Mail Online

imo that teacher is an idiot, you can teach kids about free speech without showing them cartoons that insult their faith. after having 1 teacher beheaded for showing the same images, i have to wonder what this guy was about? this seems more like activism then teaching. he knew what he was doing and did it anyway is my point. just because free speech gives you the right to insult, doesn't mean this should be done in a school setting to kids from Islamic backgrounds. he could have explained the principles of free speech easily without using the 1 example that just got someone head cut off by a terrorist. the fact that he chose to use this example shows me he was on a mission. thats not the place of a teacher.

further more if you believe in absolute free speech, then those protesting his actions also get free speech to say how unhappy they are with this activism type teaching style. i bet you his phone is full of Tommy Robinson rants against muslims.

no one should of course be calling for death for cartoons, but the fact is we know this subject is a red line for many we share this planet with, so why do we need to keep on stepping over that line? as i said there are many way to teach about the right to free speech, the right to offend, without offending those you are supposed to be teaching.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

Hmm - perhaps the English teacher was looking for the notoriety of the French teacher who had his head chopped off for doing the same thing - without losing his head? - so not being de-capitated for showing some kids a fully clothed cartoon of someone that allegedly lived 1400 years ago - or perhaps he was giving them a class on what free speech is - and what can happen if your speech is too free - a practical lesson in the outrage some groups can create over what would seem relatively innocuous to most of us - a cartoon of a claimed prophet - when just about everything in history has already been cartoonized - drawn - painted or photographed - why can't those that wish to satirize or cartoonize whatever be able to do it? - should we still have blasphemy laws?

 

[gaiusmarius]

no, i don't think laws are in order, but some common sense by teachers is. he could have verbally told them about the cartoons and the free speech principles involved without actually showing them the images. i mean we don't show hard core porn to 10 year olds in biology either. we shouldn't need laws for that, its just common sense. a school is not the same as what an author can do or an artist. in school extremism should be avoided, but 2 blokes in the pub shouldn't be restricted in their speech rights. so i don't really argue against his right to show that image, just not in a school with lots of muslim kids in it. that seems to be just asking for a reaction. they say he was a good teacher, so who knows what his motives were. he shouldn't be punished either, just told not to do it again. use verbal means if thats what he wants to teach about in his free speech class.

schools are a closed, forced, setting, kids don't have the right not to be there. its not the same as someone doing in at the speakers corner, where the audience is voluntary imo.

 

[Microbeman]

no, i don't think laws are in order, but some common sense by teachers is. he could have verbally told them about the cartoons and the free speech principles involved without actually showing them the images. i mean we don't show hard core porn to 10 year olds in biology either. we shouldn't need laws for that, its just common sense. a school is not the same as what an author can do or an artist. in school extremism should be avoided, but 2 blokes in the pub shouldn't be restricted in their speech rights. so i don't really argue against his right to show that image, just not in a school with lots of muslim kids in it. that seems to be just asking for a reaction. they say he was a good teacher, so who knows what his motives were. he shouldn't be punished either, just told not to do it again. use verbal means if thats what he wants to teach about in his free speech class.

schools are a closed, forced, setting, kids don't have the right not to be there. its not the same as someone doing in at the speakers corner, where the audience is voluntary imo.

Does that follow [intimate] that speakers preaching bigoted attitudes/agendas should not be doing so at universities?

 

[Guest]

- ehh - can you be more specific re - 'Humanist Viewpoints' - and about rejecting them - because I can't make head nor tail of that - and you obviously look here enough to make a post - lol

Gypsy, I thought you would know what Humanist viewpoints are. But my interest in posting had to do with vERDant Green's comments. I have seen in the past that Verdant Green's posts are sensible and reasonable, not only ratational ... and it was to those reasonable and sensible viewpoints that I responded.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

no, i don't think laws are in order, but some common sense by teachers is. he could have verbally told them about the cartoons and the free speech principles involved without actually showing them the images. i mean we don't show hard core porn to 10 year olds in biology either. we shouldn't need laws for that, its just common sense. a school is not the same as what an author can do or an artist. in school extremism should be avoided, but 2 blokes in the pub shouldn't be restricted in their speech rights. so i don't really argue against his right to show that image, just not in a school with lots of muslim kids in it. that seems to be just asking for a reaction. they say he was a good teacher, so who knows what his motives were. he shouldn't be punished either, just told not to do it again. use verbal means if thats what he wants to teach about in his free speech class.

schools are a closed, forced, setting, kids don't have the right not to be there. its not the same as someone doing in at the speakers corner, where the audience is voluntary imo.

- Oh to be a fly on the wall in that lesson - and we can only speculate how that lesson transpired - perhaps the teacher was asked to show the 'Cartoon of Doom' to the class - by some of the kids in the class - who were curious and keen to know about what exactly happened with the Charlie Hebdo massacre - and the be-heading of the French teacher a few months ago - in France - over this cartoon drawing - kids are curious - my hand would have been up in that class - asking questions as to why millions of people can feel justified in the hacking of a teachers head in the street - over a cartoon caricature of someone that allegedly lived 1400 years ago - If that is justice - then obviously millions/billions of people are seriously misguided - and perhaps that was the point that the teacher was trying to make -

- The class and teacher were in a secular school - so I would think that nothing religious would be 'out-of-bounds' to learn about there - are we supposed to hide the truth from certain groups of people? - should our education systems be aligned with not upsetting any deity/cult/religious or political doctrines - by refusing to teach the truth - I don't think that course of action will lead to any age of enlightenment - being tolerant of the intolerant -

 

[mowood3479]

tacit?

Yea tacit approval. Not tactic

 

[gaiusmarius]

- Oh to be a fly on the wall in that lesson - and we can only speculate how that lesson transpired - perhaps the teacher was asked to show the 'Cartoon of Doom' to the class - by some of the kids in the class - who were curious and keen to know about what exactly happened with the Charlie Hebdo massacre - and the be-heading of the French teacher a few months ago - in France - over this cartoon drawing - kids are curious - my hand would have been up in that class - asking questions as to why millions of people can feel justified in the hacking of a teachers head in the street - over a cartoon caricature of someone that allegedly lived 1400 years ago - If that is justice - then obviously millions/billions of people are seriously misguided - and perhaps that was the point that the teacher was trying to make -

- The class and teacher were in a secular school - so I would think that nothing religious would be 'out-of-bounds' to learn about there - are we supposed to hide the truth from certain groups of people? - should our education systems be aligned with not upsetting any deity/cult/religious or political doctrines - by refusing to teach the truth - I don't think that course of action will lead to any age of enlightenment - being tolerant of the intolerant -

kids today can see any image they want on their phones, so i don't see the need for a teacher to assist them in that. i think the subject of tolerance and free speech should be taught, you should teach that violence is never an appropriate reaction to speech, you can even go through what happened in France and how a civilised society has to both allow free expression and free expression of religion, how the second depends on the 1st. free speech isn't compatible with forced listening or watching though imo.

its silly for anyone to get upset about a cartoon, but we humans are full of silly, more so with every passing year it seems. had the parents not reacted like infants and posted about it online the world would be better for it. but still, it was a predictable out come imo, as such its activism and has no place in a school. just like having drag queens reading to 6 year olds is activism.

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

Or males competing in female sports

 

[Gry]

Or males competing in female sports

Tickets to the special events will cost extra.

 

[gaiusmarius]

Tickets to the special events will cost extra.

lmao

 

[Sunshineinabag]

Or males competing in female sports

Talk about winning....how does one feel good about competing with weaker comp and winning

 

[Cannavore]

the country is collapsing and ya'll are talking about chicks with dicks kicking a ball around or running around a track in a circle lol. way to stay on the pulse of the issues!

 

[Cannavore]

if the US had protestors like France, the Republicans and many Democrats would be calling them a communist mob.

US/Western propaganda is so strong it literally programs people into defending an abhorrent system against any reformation or change.

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

Yep and even drag queens story time.
Next will be Pedophiles running daycare centers as part of their rehabilitation.......oh the horror of pushback from those who dont agree.

And imagine the thought of a photo ID in 2021.....it's Jim Eagle all over again......hahahahaha

 

[Cannavore]

yeah because we all know pedos come after drag queens. it's the only logical step!

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

Yep I'm sure you can whip out a statistic spreadsheet on the benefits to our children of drag queens , and chicks with dicks.

Apparently America's elementary schools will be 'The happiest place on earth'........