We've got to stick to our guns says satirist
Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 10:33 My former colleague Neil Rafferty was on BBC Radio Scotland this morning discussing the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
A former Sunday Times journalist, Neil was spokesman for Forest in Scotland before The Daily Mash (the satirical website he founded with fellow journalist Paul Stokes) became a full-time occupation.
Neil now lives in France so he was in a good position to comment on events in Paris.
Describing what happened as "sickening", he talked of a "deep sense of despair" and said he felt a "strong sense of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo and everybody who believes in freedom of expression".
I particularly liked his very honest assessment that the satirists at Charlie Hebdo are "braver than I am".
"Satire," he added, "is important, it's necessary, it's a hugely positive thing in society. We've just got to stick to our guns."
You can listen to the interview here. It begins at 01:35:40.
Reader Comments (1)
I was in Calais yesterday when I heard the awful news. I was there for a trip to Belgium to buy my own tobacco because I will not pay UK tax to be abused by those who deny smokers the right to freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom of thought, and freedom of action without condemnation.
All of these things are important. None of therm are valued by the fascists in the anti-smoker industry and their phobic political supporters including Ed Milliband, Dave Cameron and Thick Clegg.
Freedom of all of these things does not mean that an organisation such as ASH, the BHF or CRUK, can blatantly lie to encourage hatred, abuse and the exclusion of consumers they would rather didn't exist.
It does mean however, that it is perfectly acceptable that smokers can be targeted by violent extremists http://www.thefreesociety.org/Issues/Free-Speech/sniping-at-smokers
http://thesmokersgraveyard.wordpress.com/