Newspapers should be impartial – so publishing BNP ad was right (From Halesowen News)

Newspapers should be impartial – so publishing BNP ad was right

11:43am Thursday 25th June 2009

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I cannot believe how many silly people wrote into this newspaper and berated you for advertising the BNP.

We are living in a democracy and like it or not, the BNP are a lawful recognised party.

I am not, I repeat not a BNP voter. I am a Labour voter through and through.

Don’t these silly people realise that they are doing exactly what the BNP would like to do eg suppress people’s views and opinions.

By writing in and condemning this newspaper for putting forward the views of the BNP, they are as bad as the BNP.

This newspaper has to be impartial and publish the views of all political parties, as I said, that is what democracy is all about.

I remember the Thatcher years and the devastation that Thatcher caused and I hate the Tory party but I would not get in a hissy fit and write to a newspaper to condemn them for printing Tory politics and tell them that they should not print views of the Conservative Party.

I do not use David Cameron’s photo for dart practice. I treat them with the contempt they deserve.

Just because you don’t like something, you cannot make it go away by denying it, or sweeping it under the carpet.

The BNP, Labour, Conservatives, UKIP etc are all legal political parties and they all have a right to their views, whether we like them or not.

We have not got to agree with them or even vote for them but by listening to them instead of getting all hysterical over them, you can find out what they are up to.

We live (thank God) in a democracy and people have the right to their views and opinions and I will always stand up and defend that democratic right, even for the silly people that wrote to this newspaper condemning it for publishing BNP views, but when these same silly people start demanding it to be taken off the website and insisting that this paper should not print anything about the BNP, that is when it stops being democratic and becomes like BNP policy.

I hope the next time these stupid people feel like having a tantrum about a political party, they will not try to make readers conform to their way of thinking (like the BNP party would like to do) or take their anger out on this newspaper.

Instead, write to the party you have a gripe with.

Mrs J Garfield, Halesowen

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