Pour Encourager les autres...
The term literally means “to encourage the others” and it was used in Voltaire’s Candide (1759) in reference to the execution of Admiral John Byng. You see if there is ONE GUARANTEED WAY to get the attention of a group of people and to then cower them into submission to your will, it’s to do something horrible to a prominent member of that group.
And THAT is exactly what happened to a lady named Bernadette Spofforth on X/Twitter. Bernie had posted a factually incorrect post in the aftermath of the Southport killings which she had prefaced with the “If this is true..” disclaimer which attributed the murders to a cross-channel Muslim migrant. Many others also had copy pasted this fake information. It did appear that the rumour had originated in Pakistan, believe it or not, but the media didn’t care about things like facts.
On the 8th August, the Police arrived at Bernie’s house and she was detained in a prison cell for 36 hours. The outrageous suggestion was that it was HER POST that had inflamed the subsequent protests/riots. Bernie was demonised in the mainstream media and the character assassination was off the scale. A little over 10 days ago, the Police dropped all charges against Bernie. You can watch her talk about it here.
The point I want to make is that this arrest and bullying of Bernie was in fact aimed at all us who have prominence on Social Media. This was the State saying “you better watch it or you will be next”! It was making an example of one of us in order to mute the rest of us. It is truly Orwellian yet it was one of the first acts of this wicked Labour Government.
Bernie’s alleged crime was to sent out a tweet that had contained false information. She had simply copy/pasted the erroneous information. It happens. I would suggest that each day MILLIONS of social media posts contain false information. Will we arrest millions of people? No, of course not, and that isn’t the game being played here. The Government itself regularly spreads false information and yet there is no penalty considered against it. Bernie was punished as a warning. She won’t be the last.
Dear David
If police make an arrest, which does not result in a charge, they leave themselves open to being sued for False Arrest.
In other words, police are not free to take people's liberty on a whim, and then say - My bad.
Despite what TV shows may program us into believing.
The act of arrest, is the act of a policeman placing himself in legal jeopardy.
He must now, put up or shut up.
If he realizes he doesn't have enough evidence to justify the arrest in the first place, he is in a very difficult position.
If he charges, without sufficient evidence, he is breaking the law.
If he releases the arrested party, he is admitting he broke the law.
On the other hand, the more the law is broken, the more it will be broken.
If no-one questions the legality of this kind of over the top, Nazi behaviour, it will continue and probably worsen.
The station that arrested Bernie is probably holding their breath and hoping for the clock to run out before she makes a complaint.
If a complaint is made, it will have to be looked into.
But time is of the essence. There are often deadlines.
Perhaps the Police Complaints Authority, or the Ombudsman, or an honest lawyer friend who won't charge to give information, would be a good starting point for Bernie.
But I think she should make a complaint about being arrested and denied her liberty for 36 hours (which is no small thing) when it appears there was clearly insufficient evidence to charge.
She has, in effect, been found guilty without evidence, and sentenced to a one and a half day prison sentence, then told to go home, because there is no evidence of wrong doing.
Police are not allowed to go on fishing expeditions, in which they arrest people, just to see what they say.
There is no such thing as - Arrested for Questioning.
They are not supposed to arrest, unless they already have sufficient evidence to charge, BEFORE the arrest is made.
So you see, the act of arresting, holding for 36 hours, then releasing without charge, is an admission that the arrest was unlawful.
I don't want to 'guilt trip' Bernie.
But, if abused women don't complain, their abusers will be encouraged.
And there will be more.
Some policemen are Reasonable Men.
And others are not very bright, sick, abusive, individuals who are attracted to uniforms, and badges, and power, and handcuffs, and truncheons, and pepper spray, and sirens, and get off on having power over women.
This is why there is a Police Complaints Authority.
Because serving, fully trained, sworn police officers of almost all ranks, were one day drawing their pay and enjoying the good life, and the next were being charged with rape.
The first line of defence is not the police.
Would you really trust them to police themselves ?
The first line of defence is we the people.
We pay their wages.
And we must flag it up when they overstep the mark.
As the Jungle Doctor said -
Little tigers, become big tigers,
and big tigers kill.
God Bless
I didn't realise it was her.