Nick Griffin on Question Time

I am an avid campaigner for No Platform for racists and fascists on university campuses. Extremist and violent politics have no place in an environment where students live and work. Student unions have no obligation to provide a platform for a party to attend an event which may create a risk to the wellbeing of their students. I believe that it takes a particularly intelligent and well-seasoned public speaker to adequately, confidently and calmly discredit the BNP, and in a student debate, this is not a guarantee. Many of the most articulate student politicians I know would most likely fall to pieces when confronted with the kind of intimidation BNP politicians might bring when challeneged in a less confident manner.

Having said that, from the offset I have disagreed with fellow anti-fascist campaigners in their endeavour to prevent BNP leader Nick Griffin from appearing on Question Time. Nick Griffin on Question Time was one of the most damaging blows to his party and reputation that anyone could have dealt. This was not a programme legitimising his party, affirming his views or giving him a platform to incite racial hatred, this was an opportunity to rip his policies, his racist ideology and his fragile ego to shreds.

Griffin was ill-prepared for the direct challenges he would receive. As the show progressed, Griffin appeared visibly shaken, unable to defend direct quotes, in many instances claiming he had been misquoted.

When confronted with quotes from video footage of Griffin addressing American white nationalists (including former KKK leader David Duke) stating "every last one of them must go"(you can find the footage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QolIvfQEw ), which was subsequently impossible to deny, his justifications were so painful, they didn't verge on the ridiculous, they put on the clown wig and nose and ran starkers into the night. He basically argued that he was trying to appear to be extreme in order to befriend the extremists and ultimately win them round to a less extreme way of thinking. This bizarre and somewhat comic reasoning could be detected as a big stinking lie by even the most ignorant of people.

I agree that the whole show was a mass attack on Griffin but so what? The BBC has a duty to broadcast objective and democratic political programming and the majority of true, proud, Brits are thrilled to be living in a multi-cultural, pluralistic democracy in which equal rights are respected. All that this show did was showcase the typical public reaction to Griffin. It couldn't have been fairer.

The media reaction was furious. Even those who didn't watch the programme, even the lowest common denominator, somebody who is frustrated, and not so bright and might be duped by the BNP had the tabloids glaring "BNP=BAD". Those who might have been duped before certainly won't be now.

This has even caused massive divisions within the party, with the membership thoroughly pissed off that their leader wasn't quite racist enough.

So there we have it ladies and gentlemen, an early Christmas present for the BNP? I think Santa just dropped a big fat lump of coal in Griffin's stocking, if not something far less pleasant, and I wish I was a fly on the wall to see the clean up job. I have a feeling it won't be an easy one, and perhaps, hopefully, it will leave a permanent stain on the moderate reputation the BNP have tried to build.

Watch Question Time for a limited time here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nft24/Question_Time_22_10_2009/

The Bigamist Bride: My Five Husbands

Having been ill for a few days and away for a few more, every day didn't quite work out. Epic fail.

I want to say a bit about a documentary I watched just now, and you can watch it here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-bigamist-bride-my-five-husbands

The whole documentary was edited to demonise the subject, Emily Horne, who has been married five times, despite never having had a divorce.

I agree that her behaviour is both bizarre and abhorrent, but what is truly appalling is that such a damning documentary was made about a woman whose mental state is clearly crumbling.

Any monkey watching this documentary can see that this woman is not right in the head. The way she speaks is slow and disturbing, deliberate, as if every word is planned to create maximum effect. She clearly believes her own lies to some extent and is desperate to paint a portrait of herself as a victim, a romantic heroine, misunderstood by all, fierce and defiant, perhaps even a feminist hero. She needs serious help. The last thing she needs is a sensationalist documentary, purporting this terribly unwell woman to be an evil mastermind, chewing off victim after victim.

For the entire documentary, Emily remains sullen, self-righteous and melodramatic. Her puzzling version of events changes radically from moment to moment and she seems very adept at lying in order to maintain maximum sympathy in any situation. She is a woman in need of serious psychological help, perhaps even sectioning. She is obviously unable to function in society, and feels incapable of gaining love without generating massive sympathy.

I don't deny that the documentary was entertaining, I don't condone her actions and I certainly didn't find her to be a very sympathetic character, but I have concerns that the majority of people watching this programme will not be watching with love and empathy, but she will become a pariah, instead of getting well and being able to function normally in society.