Gareth Thomas assaulted in Cardiff last night

[rudy gestede]

I am neither. But your low IQ and irrational hatred must be upsetting for your boyfriend

Ah IQ the measure of internet geniuses

[severncity]

Ah IQ the measure of internet geniuses

No IQ is the measure of intelligence. Have you tested yours? Those who resort to insults during a debate tend to have lower IQs than the people they are insulting as they have failed to win the debate through reasoned argument. Try eating oily fish as the fatty acids in them are believed to help in brain function and development. I reckon that if you ate 6 kippers a day for the next 14 years you might be able to bump yours up to about 85. A word of caution though: it’ll make your breath stink.

[rudy gestede]

Some people don’t deserve reasoned debate.

[severncity]

Some people don’t deserve reasoned debate.

I was simply pointing out that Alfie, having been convicted of an attack on a French couple (in which the woman was sexually assaulted), is being a bit hypocritical in publicising his victimhood as a “hate crime” as he could quite equally be accused of having been guilty of participating in a “hate crime” in his past. Furthermore I find it strange that he was so shaken after being attacked by a sixteen year old given that he must have been subjected to far more physicality by much stronger men during his rugby career.

What’s more, I am puzzled as to why he went on Twitter to publicise and politicise the assault as a “hate crime”, fuelling the controversy over whether “hate crimes” should exist within law or whether they should be categorised as merely “crimes”. Having specially protected groups in society creates a two-tier criminal justice system and relegates those outside of such groups to the status of second-class citizens in the eyes of the law. I find this to be profoundly troubling and a potential precursor to a far more draconian crimainal justice system that may seek to criminalise many more activities as hate crimes, including eventually thought.

There are many examples of “thought crime” being punished throughout history, including 1980s East Germany, Nazi Germany, China during the Cultural Revolution, Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge period and of course the persecution of sects within religions - the Cathars and Lollards were victims of the Catholic Church and the Inquisitions killed hundreds of thousands for alleged heresy.

The shrill virtue signalling that pervades our culture reminds me of that Monty Python Holy Grail sketch with the “witch”. Deluded morons with a mob mentality and unrequited blood lust demanding an example be made of transgressors for WrongThink.

Enjoy your kippers.

[rudy gestede]

You’re getting a thought crime confused with a motive.

Assault is a crime whoever does it, the motivation behind it can be important when working out why the crime happened and why certain people are more vulnerable to it.

I assume he raised the point on twitter to show that even in this day and age gay people are more likely to be assaulted than straight people.

Whether it’s hypocritical or someone learning their lesson after making a mistake he was punished for earlier in life is up to you. But it doesn’t make the assault any more just.

My advice to you would be expand your horizons on what you read. You’re obviously an intelligent guy but certain buzzwords you use make it seem like you’re being taken in by certain right wing nut jobs. Nonsense buzzwords like virtue signalling weaken your good points.

[Der Kaiser]

Thoughts on Everton next weekend lads ?

[lardy]

Of course not, but Alfie is 16 stone, 6’3” and was noted during his rugby career for being exceedingly tough. It would have to be a very big and strong 16 year old to overpower him.

How big are his feet?

[severncity]

You’re getting a thought crime confused with a motive.

Assault is a crime whoever does it, the motivation behind it can be important when working out why the crime happened and why certain people are more vulnerable to it.

I assume he raised the point on twitter to show that even in this day and age gay people are more likely to be assaulted than straight people.

Whether it’s hypocritical or someone learning their lesson after making a mistake he was punished for earlier in life is up to you. But it doesn’t make the assault any more just.

My advice to you would be expand your horizons on what you read. You’re obviously an intelligent guy but certain buzzwords you use make it seem like you’re being taken in by certain right wing nut jobs. Nonsense buzzwords like virtue signalling weaken your good points.

I’m not confusing anything. And I was a lefty Guardian reader well into my 30s until the Iraq war happened. I read very extensively. “Hate crime” doesn’t need to exist as we already had, prior to its emergence, arrests, charges and convictions for “crimes”. I also take issue with the insults that came my way merely for questioning this story.

[Divine Wright]

Please elaborate without your usual descent into childish abuse and hectoring rhetoric

I agree with him. Your logic is skewed.

[IanD]

Thoughts on Everton next weekend lads ?

Long weekend in Liverpool for me staying with in laws, who live near Manlove Avenue. Maybe it's a sign. Everton 2 Bluebirds 3.

[rudy gestede]

I’m not confusing anything. And I was a lefty Guardian reader well into my 30s until the Iraq war happened. I read very extensively. “Hate crime” doesn’t need to exist as we already had, prior to its emergence, arrests, charges and convictions for “crimes”. I also take issue with the insults that came my way merely for questioning this story.

Wait so the Iraq war made you more right wing?

Hate crimes are a complex subject I’m not intelligent enough or clued up enough to say whether or not they need to exist. But minorty groups often are targeted more for assaults so maybe it’s useful if we know the motivation behind an assault so we can try and reduce them?

It’s not like this kid had a bigger punishment because of it either. Maybe him having to confront his victim will help educate him that we shouldn’t assault someone just because they’re different? Maybe this story being out there will increase discourse and potentially make at least one person change their mind about hating someone because they’re gay.

[dandywarhol]

Perhaps if Alfie had smacked him he might have killed the prick.Look around the CCS you can bet at least 1 in 10 is a closet gay.
Alfie is a bluebird.He done the Ayatollah when he scored Cardiff's first try at the CCS.

[Since64]

[QUOTE=dandywarhol;4928183]Perhaps if Alfie had smacked him he might have killed the prick.Look around the CCS you can bet at least 1 in 10 is a closet gay.
Alfie is a bluebird.He done the Ayatollah when he scored Cardiff's first try at the CCS.[/ One in ten ,I don’t know,or are you including sheep shaggers in your estimate

Would you feel the same way if he was a jack and did the old swim away

[Rjk]

I've never understood why anyone would be hostile to gay people. Surely they're only tipping the odds in your favour.

I once went to a party where I was the only straight guy there with about a dozen straight girls and a similar number of gay guys, and it was like being a ****ing rock star.

There's research that people who have strong feelings of disgust or anger towards gay people often have suppressed gay feelings themselves, which their subconscious wants to avoid.

I wonder if the incident with Gareth Thomas was a drunken argument that became homophobic abuse or whether it was someone who was seeking out someone homosexual to abuse.

[dandywarhol]

Ive got a mate whose gay.He reckons he's sleep with more married chappies than gay ones

[jamieccfc]

Perhaps if Alfie had smacked him he might have killed the prick.Look around the CCS you can bet at least 1 in 10 is a closet gay.
Alfie is a bluebird.He done the Ayatollah when he scored Cardiff's first try at the CCS.

He done it nearly/maybe every time he scored a try for club and country