Tentacles, cancel culture, torn down, hate crime, outrage, bully, legal action
I have served on the Gloucestershire Police Stop & Search Scrutiny Panel for over two years where, more recently, I have been proud to represent Stroud Against Racism.
The Constabulary have engaged positively and I believe SAR has built up a good and respectful working relationship. This blog is representative of this engagement.
So, it is with great disappointment that I read these words penned by my MP in our local newspaper. A selection of these words form the headline of this post.
Words are powerful, if poorly chosen they can undermine these fragile relationships and inflame what should, otherwise be, a considered and thoughtful debate.
There is still much more work to be done.
The upshot is that the organisation believes itself to be right and feels its view should be enacted. They called local people racist for expressing an alternative view and whipped up a lot of online hate in the process.
SIOBHAN BAILLIE MP 7th August 2021