in being disgusted with Oxford SU inviting Marine Lepen???

(I mean her, not France. As "enemy")

What's all this animal stuff?

#woodforthetrees

And "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer".

You are saying what I was, jings but straight from the shoulder.

The sheep were because of the image of sheep not thinking for themselves.

I admit I was quite shocked, even upset, when the FN opened a small office in our nearest small town on market day. That's when the town is packed, the office is closed the rest of the week. I've never seen anyone visiting.
Now that I've got over my initial reaction I would like to go in and ask what their racial policies are, but I don't think my french is good enough.

You dont ignore them.
But you dont actively encourage them.
It is playing with fire. Some get burnt.

How would one know one's enemy if one didn't hear what one's enemy had to say or what one's enemy wanted, soon? People don't go around with 'evil intentions' or 'good intentions' printed on their foreheads.

How did granjura know that she was disgusted that LePen was invited to speak at the Oxford Uni debating society? She knew because she had either heard what LePen has already said, or read news items about her and such like. What's the essential difference between reading about what she says or hearing her say it? None, I'd say.

So listen out for your enemies. Know them by knowing what they stand for and then vote against them to keep them and their ideas out of power.

Listening and being aware, making sure one's aware, is not encouragement.

Meeting face to face adds to the reading for those that are, or starting to be slightly inclined towards the subject.

Not everyone says no, you know.

Where do recruits come from? All sorts of places and ways.

This thread has made me slightly jumpy, as I realise I dont know who I am really speaking to.
How far out are some of you? I have no way of knowing.
This is the internet, and some of you could be members of all sorts of political parties. And agree with all sorts of things.

I can understand *soontobe's point of view. I wouldn't want anyone allowed to preach anti-Muslim views from any old soapbox. But Marine L P is not her father and she knows the laws of this country what can and cannot be said. She is not stupid. And she obviously didn't say anything outrageous at this event. I think she is careful not to.

Nothing to be jumpy about. We none of us are racist pigs!

I am going to back away from this thread.

Why?

I think soontobe must think that because we are against banning someone from stating their position, we are for their policies and are a danger to her. (At least, that is my impression)

That is not so. In a biography of Voltaire, Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote this as an illustration of Voltaire's beliefs. (It is often cited to describe the principle of freedom of speech ): -

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

That is the position of those who would not ban a speaker they did not approve of, but would find and say things to counteract their influence.

Never fails to amaze me that people can't distinguish between the two stances, elegran. It probably should fail to amaze me, but it doesn't. Hey ho.

Me, I'm dead way out. Just cool it, Marine, old bean.

Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote under the nom-de-plume "S G Tallentyre"

Can't quite see Elegran, Granjura, Thatbags, Jingl as rabid Right wing racists or even the Antichrist. Your posts speak for you

…or even the Antichrist?

But some people do totally believe that "If you are not for me, you are against me"

If you have ever had friends go through an acrimonious divorce, you will recognise the stance - unless you agree with X that Y is a complete bastard, and that X is totally innocent and perfect in every way, X thinks you are on Y's side and probably planning to tell lies to all mutual friends about X.

I am not talking about granjura or jingl.
And I see that you have added something Soutra.

We must agree to differ in opinions, soontobe.

Please don't say you don't trust me, though. That makes me sound like someone who would stab you in the back.

I dont think that you are going to be stab me in the back!

We can agree to have different opinions.

But I cant help if I somehow, now, since this thread, rightly or wrongly, see you differently.
And I need to remind myself from time to time, of my post of 15.13pm.

I hope that this post is ok?

I take it for granted that some gransnetters are members of all sorts of political parties and that some are not. It is obvious from many threads over the years that we agree and disagree with each other on any number of topics. I think it unlikely in the extreme that we have been infiltrated by political fanatics but, if we were, I have no doubt that gransnetters are perfectly capable of roundly defeating their evil aims.

No-one on here knows everything about everyone. We only know what people post, and sometimes that is not true. Anyone can post anything!

But in the outside world, anyone can tell you anything, too. It is easier when you are face to face to see when someone is not being completely frank.

On here, you just have to go by all the posts you have previously read from someone. If they contradict themselves, you start to wonder whether they are making some of it up - but sometimes people DO think differently from time to time.

I can only speak for myself, but I can assure you I am not a member of any dangerous or extremist organisation. I have met quite a few other posters, and I don't believe any of them are either. Thatbags certainly is not, in spite of your fear of her atheism - but that is not catching!