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Far-right extremist told to "read classic literature" or go to jail

Started by Fambo Number Mive, September 01, 2021, 06:00:47 PM

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Fambo Number Mive

So is this the start of people's punishments being determined by their knowledge of literature?

Quote...A former student who downloaded almost 70,000 white supremacist documents and bomb-making instructions has avoided a prison sentence "by the skin of his teeth" after being told to read classic literature by Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and Hardy.

Ben John, 21, from Lincoln, a former student at De Montfort University in Leicester, has to return to court every four months to be tested on his reading, Judge Timothy Spencer QC said. He also sentenced him to a suspended two years' imprisonment plus a further two years on licence.

John was identified as a terror risk days after his 18th birthday and was referred to the Prevent programme but continued to download "repellent" rightwing documents, the Leicester Mercury reported. He also wrote a letter raging against gay people, immigrants and liberals.

On 11 August, he was convicted by a jury of possessing information likely to be useful for preparing an act of terror, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years...

After making John promise not to research any more rightwing material, the judge continued: "Have you read Dickens? Austen? Start with Pride and Prejudice and Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope.

"On 4 January you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it. I will test you and if I think you are [lying to] me you will suffer."

He then told John's barrister, Harry Bentley: "He has by the skin of his teeth avoided imprisonment."

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, John was given a five-year serious crime prevention order...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/01/judge-orders-rightwing-extremist-to-read-classic-literature-or-face-prison

I'm baffled by how having read Austen, Dickens and Shakespeare makes him less dangerous to LGBTA people, immigrants and liberals. I doubt this would happen for a Muslim extremist who had been involved in similar activity.

Even getting him to read books on anti-racism, the struggle of black people in Britain and LGBTA rights would have been better than thinking some good old classical authors will make this man become a good citizen. Why not get him to read Martin Luther King or Steve Biko's autobiography, for example? Instead its Austen (an author I could never get into), Dickens, Shakespeare and Hardy. I hardly think people get involved with the far right through not having read enough Shakespeare or Hardy. It's not like they are attacking RSC productions and shouting "Fuck Dickens" on demos.

Shit Good Nose

He could legitimately black up for Othello I suppose.

"All part of my probation, guv."



PlanktonSideburns

EDL nailbomber forced to watch first two series of only fools and horses

Dr Rock

QuoteI will test you and if I think you are [lying to] me your bottom will suffer. "

Tests to take place on Hampstead Heath after dark.

chveik

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on September 01, 2021, 06:00:47 PM
Even getting him to read books on anti-racism, the struggle of black people in Britain and LGBTA rights would have been better than thinking some good old classical authors will make this man become a good citizen.

baby steps mate


Shoulders?-Stomach!

QuoteAfter making John promise not to research any more rightwing material, the judge continued: "Have you read Dickens? Austen? Start with Pride and Prejudice and Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope.

"On 4 January you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it. I will test you and if I think you are [lying to] me you will suffer."

He then told John's barrister, Harry Bentley: "He has by the skin of his teeth avoided imprisonment."

Why didn't Roger Cook do this to that paedo he made burn the child porn on the fire?

"And now: A grounding in English literature."


Inspector Norse

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on September 01, 2021, 06:00:47 PM
I'm baffled by how having read Austen, Dickens and Shakespeare makes him less dangerous to LGBTA people, immigrants and liberals.

Some of those old books are loooooong. He won't have time to go out bigoting.

Zetetic

He looked in bewilderment round the room. At the back of the door were fixed two hooks for hanging garments, and from these the forms of the two youngest children were suspended, by a piece of box-cord round each of their necks, while from a nail a few yards off the body of little Jude was hanging in a similar manner. An overturned chair was near the elder boy, and his glazed eyes were slanted into the room; but those of the girl and the baby boy were closed.

...

The children were past saving, for though their bodies were still barely cold it was conjectured that they had been hanging more than an hour. The probability held by the parents later on, when they were able to reason on the case, was that the elder boy, on waking, looked into the outer room for Sue, and, finding her absent, was thrown into a fit of aggravated despondency that the events and information of the evening before had induced in his morbid temperament. Moreover a piece of paper was found upon the floor, on which was written, in the boy's hand, with the bit of lead pencil that he carried:

Done because we are too menny.
...

"It was in his nature to do it. The Doctor says there are such boys springing up amongst us—boys of a sort unknown in the last generation—the outcome of new views of life. They seem to see all its terrors before they are old enough to have staying power to resist them. He says it is the beginning of the coming universal wish not to live."




Not entirely convinced that'll help.

Dr Rock

"Did you enjoy your reading Mr John''

"Yes Guv I did! I got right into them worlds of the olden days, they were great!"

"Wonderful! Yes, a little faster, mmm. What did you like about them most?"

"It was so different back then... no blackies! No moslems! Not like today, coming over here, grooming our girls"

"Exactly Mr John.."

Replies From View

Quote from: Zetetic on September 01, 2021, 08:13:20 PM
He looked in bewilderment round the room. At the back of the door were fixed two hooks for hanging garments

I believe hanging garments are called "nieces" now

Far right extremist forced to read every Labour thread on Cookd and Bombd. Oh wait. That would radicalise him even further...


Kankurette

Disgusted at the lack of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Buelligan

Quote from: Zetetic on September 01, 2021, 08:13:20 PM
He looked in bewilderment round the room. At the back of the door were fixed two hooks for hanging garments, and from these the forms of the two youngest children were suspended, by a piece of box-cord round each of their necks, while from a nail a few yards off the body of little Jude was hanging in a similar manner. An overturned chair was near the elder boy, and his glazed eyes were slanted into the room; but those of the girl and the baby boy were closed.

...

The children were past saving, for though their bodies were still barely cold it was conjectured that they had been hanging more than an hour. The probability held by the parents later on, when they were able to reason on the case, was that the elder boy, on waking, looked into the outer room for Sue, and, finding her absent, was thrown into a fit of aggravated despondency that the events and information of the evening before had induced in his morbid temperament. Moreover a piece of paper was found upon the floor, on which was written, in the boy's hand, with the bit of lead pencil that he carried:

Done because we are too menny.
...

"It was in his nature to do it. The Doctor says there are such boys springing up amongst us—boys of a sort unknown in the last generation—the outcome of new views of life. They seem to see all its terrors before they are old enough to have staying power to resist them. He says it is the beginning of the coming universal wish not to live."




Not entirely convinced that'll help.

Luckily for Hardy he's not around now or he'd be purged with Ken Loach.

Pink Gregory


Petey Pate

I'm not sure if reading Oliver Twist, where the character Fagin is mainly referred to as just 'the Jew' throughout the novel, or The Merchant of Venice, which is a play all about a Jewish moneylender, is going to stop him from being a Nazi.

Butchers Blind

I hope its a written test and held under proper exam conditions.

Buelligan

Quote from: Petey Pate on September 02, 2021, 10:09:00 AM
I'm not sure if reading Oliver Twist, where the character Fagin is mainly referred to as just 'the Jew' throughout the novel, or The Merchant of Venice, which is a play all about a Jewish moneylender, is going to stop him from being a Nazi.

In fairness, the MoV - if you prick us, do we not bleed? and more - might.

dissolute ocelot

I assume Hardy is there to teach the pointlessness of ambition and the futility of trying to better yourself. Lessons we all need to learn.

Buelligan

Dunno.  Taught me how fucking cruel life can be and how extremely important it is to prevent beauty being crushed under the mindless wheels of normal expectation, convention.

"I liked the bit where the rats pretended it was hot so they didn't get sacked by Michael Caine."

Fambo Number Mive

Quote from: Butchers Blind on September 02, 2021, 10:37:35 AM
I hope its a written test and held under proper exam conditions.

With people who have done various other crimes having to do the same.

chveik

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on September 02, 2021, 10:52:38 AM
I assume Hardy is there to teach the pointlessness of ambition and the futility of trying to better yourself. Lessons we all need to learn.

no mass shooting possible if you're too depressed to leave your bed

Paul Calf

He should start with Titus Andronicus. I'll be he never thought of
Spoiler alert
killing his enemies' children, grinding bones into powder to make pastry and making pies out of them to serve at a banquet in their mother's honour.
[close]


thenoise

Quote from: Inspector Norse on September 01, 2021, 08:10:25 PM
Some of those old books are loooooong. He won't have time to go out bigoting.

He probably bought himself one of those cheat's guide books that condenses 'the classics' into a two page summary that you can read while on the bog.

Icehaven

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on September 01, 2021, 06:00:47 PM
Even getting him to read books on anti-racism, the struggle of black people in Britain and LGBTA rights would have been better than thinking some good old classical authors will make this man become a good citizen. Why not get him to read Martin Luther King or Steve Biko's autobiography, for example?

Because the judge probably knows the classics inside out from his expensive education and isn't going to give himself a load of extra homework by making nazi boy read something he isn't already very familiar with. It's quite fantastically pointless.