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David Robertson, a Christian minister in Scotland, has reported Scotland Police and the Scottish Government for committing a hate crime against Christians.
You state that “A hate incident is any incident that is not a criminal offence, but something which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hate or prejudice.” By your own criteria your posters, especially the one on religion is a hate incident. I perceive it as being motivated by hate and prejudice.
Why? In my day-to-day life I experience a great deal of anti-Christian prejudice, fuelled by ignorance and prejudice. Your poster will just add to that. You imply that it is religious people who are responsible for what you call homophobia and transphobia (although you don’t define what you mean by these terms – is being opposed to SSM ‘homophobia’? Is believing that a woman is a ‘female adult human’ transphobia? By not defining your terms you have of course left room for people to claim your support for anything that they determine is ‘phobic’).
This comes after the Scottish Government in partnership with the Scottish Police has launched a new campaign deliberately targeting Christians in an effort to tackle the seemingly growing problem of “hate crime” in the country.
The ‘Letters from Scotland’ campaign (which is taxpayer funded) include letters printed on posters to bigots, transphobes, and homophobes. The posters urge citizens to report any “religious hate” they may see or hear.
One poster reads:
"Dear bigots, division seems to be what you believe in. We don’t want your religious hate on our buses, on our streets and in our communities. We don’t want you spreading your intolerance. Or making people’s lives a misery because of their religious dress. You may not have faith in respect and love, but we do. That’s why if we see or hear your hate, we’re reporting you. End of sermon. Yours, Scotland."
This message reveals a tyrranical sentiment towards anyone who opposes the status quo or so much as even dares to hold differing opinions. This is further reflected in a statement by Chief Superintendent John McKenzie:
“Police Scotland treats all hate-related crimes and incidents as a priority," he announced.
“It is recognised that hate-related crimes and incidents pose a significant threat to victims, their friends, families and wider communities, and the potential impact of such crimes cannot be underestimated.
“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure we respond to all reports of hate crime and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of, or witnessed, a hate crime to report it.”
As Robertson, who is also the author of theweeflea.com, rightly points out:
They are selective – Its only certain groups that are mentioned. Look at what they leave out. What about those of us who are Christians who are regularly mocked and abused in the media, in our schools and on the streets? What about English people in Scotland? What about the disabled? Or many, many other groups? Why do they only pick on these select groups?
They are intimidatory – It is not the job of the police to police our thoughts and hearts. They can have no idea what we do or do not hate or love. Their responsibility is to deal with crimes that are committed. They do not have the time, money or ability to deal with our thoughts. But it seems they are going to try. The new State morality is going to be imposed through education and enforced by the State police – welcome to modern Scotland – the Saudi Arabia of Secularism.
They are self-contradictory – A poster which is designed to combat hate – spreads hate. Imagine a poster which said – Dear bigots, you can’t spread your homosexual hatred here!” . You would be arrested immediately for putting that up. But now the police and the Scottish government are putting up a poster which incites hatred – by implying that it is religion that is to blame. I get enough hatred in schools, Universities, the media and online, without the government and police encouraging it!
Furthermore, it must be noted that campaigns such as this one set a dangerous precedent concerning free speech and the right to express one's views without harassment or penalty.