This demonstration against the BNP is completely disgraceful.  I am not advocating all the narrowmindedness of the party, but what will demonstrations and protests accomplish?  NOTHING!  Except to teach our young children that this is acceptable behaviour for not getting what you want.

If people are angry about the results (that is, the public and the politicians), then they have only themselves to blame.  First of all, did people use their right to vote in the most positive way possible?  Did they truly vote for someone they really believed would serve in their best interests?  Or, did they mark their protest votes?  I had had my doubts that the BNP could get a seat because I had attributed too much “reason” to the public. (Then again, maybe those who voted BNP had their “reasons”.) 

That said, the politicians did not make it any better for the people in their choices.  Had each party concentrated on canvassing their constituents and making them aware of what their parties stood for, perhaps, people might not have voted for the BNP.

All the accusations against the BNP can equally be applied to their direct opponents.  The BNP are narrowminded, so are the protestors in denying their legitimacy.  The BNP are discriminatory, so are the protestors who call them names, such as Fascists and racists.  Isn’t it interesting that those who promote political correctness to encourage tolerance cannot tolerate any opinion that is not aligned with their own?

As one caller implied on a radio talk show, he would rather that the BNP won so that they can finally show their true colours and fall flat on their face when all their ideologies turn out to be false convictions.  That’s a very good argument.  It shows that he (a Black man) has much more tolerance towards the BNP than these protestors.

Then, of course, many of these same demonstrators have never even given the BNP a chance to speak.  This is a legitimate political party that has been denied their right to free speech.  All the protestors continue chanting the same slogans, spewing out all the old arguments, and are so blinded by their rage and frustrations that they cannot reason logically and critically.  They can only rant.  Why not listen to the arguments and debate properly?  Donna Guthrie, one of the protestors, stated plainly, “We do not believe in free speech for Fascists”. Come again?

This woman clearly lacks the basic skills of argument.  She will need to enroll in the “Thinking and Reasoning Skills” courses which will be offered next year at the GCSE level.  Once she has successfully completed the qualification, they can call her in to debate with Mr. Griffin.  No need to resort to egg-throwing or violent denial of another’s rights.