This is not a dress. This is a sacred robe of the ancient psychedelic monks

Monday the 26th of November, 2007 - another fantastic night for free speech and debate.

Oxford University hold a free speech event and decide to invite far-right politician Nick Griffin and holocaust denier David Irving. Students of the university purchase tickets and it is hoped that by encouraging mature debate the students will be able to see the views expressed by the controversial figures and get their own grasp on their views expressed through questioning.

HOLD UP! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING... how dare you allow there to be controversial views shared at a free speech debate. We are obviously not mature enough to handle the debate of views deemed unsavoury. I want to know why. We do not seem to have any confidence in our own intelligence or any faith in our democracy. What kind of a sham democracy is it that decides what can be debated. Who gets to decide what is safe to talk about and what is not? It is my right to offend people and it is everyone else's right to question me. Stifling debate and pushing certain opinions to the underground will do nothing to discredit and marginalise them.

I understand that there are times when free speech could be used to incite violence and I do not believe this should be left unchecked but what happened at the Oxford University Union was not an occasion that could be called into question for threatening public order. We need to grow up.

Here is an interesting article talking about free speech in relation to the Oxford debacle.

And yet another fantastic week has passed in the struggle to choke challenging debate, the struggle to make everyone sit down, shut up and give up what is left of their personal freedoms. Governments just want us to relax and watch American Idol, as Bill Hicks would put it.

I was disappointed when I saw the reaction to James Watson's comments regarding intelligence between white and black populations not being equal this week (original Sunday Times article). They were truly provocative comments, but we are not talking about someone dropping nooses outside local shopping centres, Watson is a world leading scientist who is a pioneer in the study of DNA. Why not encourage intelligent debate and analysis and let the public and scientific community get to the bottom of his opinion? The point is not whether his opinions are right or wrong, the point is we should have dealt with them differently. If we were to take a more robust and pragmatic approach we could learn from the issue instead of just mercilessly beating the man with a media storm.

I think the Science Museum were weak in their decision to cancel the talk to be held by Watson this week, if they were to take a more scientific approach and encourage debate and discussion then they would have had a world of publicity and alot more respect within the scientific community. Instead they have bowed down to politics. They must have taken their lead from Ken Livingstone who says that "such views are not welcome in a city like London" - how absurd that he has any say over what views are held by anyone, within London or not.

The potential for a similar occasion occurred when it was announced that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was going to be making a speech and answering questions at Columbia University earlier this year. There was an instant cry to cancel the talk and stifle his opinion as his state is seen to sponsor terrorism and extremism. Instead, the University said it would rather promote debate and discussion. Tickets for the show sold quickly and the public were given the opportunity to hear from Ahmadinejad first hand instead of being spoon fed information. And the result of providing this public platform of debate? The Iranian President did not stand up too well to question and debate, looking quite foolish as a result.

In no way can anyone compare Watson and Ahmadinejad, but we can Compare the Science Museum in London and Columbia University in the U.S. The Science Museum has been found lacking and the public has been left with a weeks sensationalist headlines and no understanding.

Hoorar for us...