Some of you may remember the bizarre story of the British docker from Humberside who got contacted by the police after tweeting out a limerick about transgender people. The police had a list of thirty tweets sent out by Miller, and informed him that they were investigating to determine if a hate crime had been committed. Harry Miller has been understandably furious since this happened, and registered a complaint with the Humberside Police over his treatment. He tweeted details of his follow-up conversation with the cops earlier this week:
I am stunned, shocked, upset, aghast and fuming. Just had Inspector Wilson from @Humberbeat call me re my complaint.
Me: Did I commit a crime?
Him: No. But you have upset a lot of people in the trans community.
Me: I do not believe Trans women are women. How do I state that without it causing upset?
Him: Why would you tweet that? Why do you feel the need?
Me: Because I am taking part in a national conversation.
Him: But why do you feel the need to do that?
Me: Because I am a citizen and believe political engagement is necessary. Why are you asking me this?
Him: Because I don’t see why you feel the need to say this.
Me: I can’t believe you, a police inspector, are questioning my involvement in politics. What right have you to do that?
Him: You do have the right. I’m just asking why you feel the need to engage in hate.
Me: Hate? Where’s the f****** hate?
Him: Maybe it’s the wrong wording.
Me: you are a f****** Inspector. You do not get to tell me that expressing a legally held view is hate. And you don’t get to pressure me to stop debating politically.
Him: If you swear, I will end this conversation.
Me. Ok. But I’m angry that you are ringing me and asking me why I’d want to be involved in politics.
Him: You have every right to be involved in politics. But why would you tweet your views when it upsets the trans community?
Me: let me get this straight. I said I do not believe trans women are women, and you ask me why I feel the need to tweet that. Right?
Him: Right. Exactly.
Me: I am ending this conversation now. *Hangs up*
I am devastated.
To sum up: A police officer noted that, for the time being at least, Harry Miller was not guilty of a crime when he stated on social media that he believes biological men identifying as women are not women. He did, however, inform Miller that it was the opinion of the police that his opinions were out of line, and asked why Miller would bother to express such distasteful opinions in the first place. In other word, an arm of the state is policing the opinions of the populace and enforcing an ideology that is not held by most people and was virtually unknown less than a decade ago. The chilling effect of law enforcement contacting citizens to tell them that their views are unwelcome in the public sphere cannot be underestimated.
When contacted by the media about the follow-up conversation, the Humberside Police spokeswoman was characteristically blasé about the sinister actions of the force she represents. “A phone call was made to the complainant by Inspector Wilson to update him on his complaint to the Force, which is standard procedure,” she noted. “There was never any suggestion he shouldn’t engage in politics or debate around the subject in question, he was just asked why he would want to, knowing it would cause distress and upset to others in society. The complainant was also advised if he felt his Human Rights had been breached, he may want to seek legal advice.”
The spokeswoman did not address the obvious distress the Humberside Police Force had caused by choosing to tell private citizens that their views were unwarranted in an official law enforcement capacity. The State has officially chosen a side, and those who still cling defiantly to scientific reality may soon discover that a polite call from the cops is the least of their worries.
_______________________________
For anyone interested, my book on The Culture War, which analyzes the journey our culture has taken from the way it was to the way it is and examines the Sexual Revolution, hook-up culture, the rise of the porn plague, abortion, commodity culture, euthanasia, and the gay rights movement, is available for sale here.
