Scottish Police to Investigate “Offensive Comments”

infowars.com

Police in Scotland have announced that they intend to investigate “offensive comments” made on Twitter and other social media, prompting a huge backlash, with one columnist describing the move as a “terrifying” lurch towards George Orwell’s thought police.

The controversy began when outspoken British TV host Katie Hopkins made a couple of jokes about an Ebola victim who arrived in Scotland being sent to a hospital in London.

“Sending us Ebola bombs in the form of sweaty Glaswegians just isn’t cricket,” Hopkins wrote. In a second tweet, she stated, “Glaswegian ebola patient moved to London’s Royal Free Hospital. Not so independent when it matters most are we jocksville?”

Though the jokes were obviously tasteless, thousands of people signed an online petition demanding Hopkins be arrested for inciting “racial hatred”. A second petition, signed by a further 25,000 people, called for Hopkins to be charged for her “racist tweets”. Hopkins’ detractors claimed that the tweets were “racist,”apparently inventing a new race of people (Scots) in the process.

Scottish Police quickly responded, announcing that they would be investigating Hopkins’ remarks as well as any other “offensive comments” made on social media.

The backlash was vitriolic, with London Independent columnist James Bloodworth labeling police involvement in the issue “utterly terrifying”.

“The overused Orwellian cliché has finally become the reality: Big Brother in the form of an overzealous and under regulated police force really is watching you,” wrote Bloodworth, adding, “At some point we accepted the dreadful premise that unpleasant – and yes “offensive” – opinions ought to be silenced by force.”

Others noted that while cops were busy taking on the role of thought police, the investigation of actual crimes was being neglected.