BNP Question

[Felch]

Che's video got me to look harder at them, and stuff seems curious. I understand they're a bunch of retrograde racists who deny the holocaust, but then it turns out that members are prohibited from being police and "Manchester Police Authority have viewed footage taken at BNP events in order to identify off-duty officers in attendance at a BNP St George's Day rally."

My question is, do people in the UK enjoy the right of free association that we have in the US? Or is that another one of those anachronistic rights that Americans cling to out of tradition and fear of change?

[loinburger]

Not quite the same situation, but it would be difficult to be a member of the KKK and hold a DoD/NSA security clearance.

[KrazyHorse]

If you think that police officers in the US can belong to a blatantly racist organization without fear for their jobs then you're sadly mistaken.

Being eligible for a government job is not a fundamental right.

[Guynemer]

True, but police unions are extremely powerful. Once on the force, it can be very, very difficult to get fired, for any reason. You should hear the stories the wife brings home from work...

[chequita guevara]

It really depends on what part of the country you're in. In some places, being a member of an extremist organization will get you booted off the force. In other parts, it's practically a job requirement, though it would still probably cause trouble if they were to do so openly.

Still, we're a long way from the days of the Philadelphia, MS police pulling civil rights workers over and handing them to the local Klan or even of the Greensboro, NC police being aware of a Nazi/Klan death squad coming to town intending to shoot up a communist rally and doing nothing.

In the early 90s, a U.S. Park Ranger in Southern Missouri threatened me, Theben, and a friend of ours with a "night visitation." (The cops had taken our car keys due to our not being in any condition to drive). Theben was probably not in a condition to remember, but I was meant to understand that we might have some trouble with guys in white sheets, and he seemed distinctly disappointed the next morning that we hadn't been visited.

[Felch]

If you think that police officers in the US can belong to a blatantly racist organization without fear for their jobs then you're sadly mistaken.

Being eligible for a government job is not a fundamental right.

My understanding* is that the BNP winks at racism and such, but officially doesn't hold extremist views. They maintain a claim of deniability when it comes to the racism, saying that individual members hold these views. If you're a member of a group in the US that is clearly racist, but doesn't explicitly say so, I'm pretty sure you'd be allowed to be a police officer.

Are there examples of people in groups that don't explicitly advocate racism being denied employment?

*Obviously I know nothing of the BNP

[SlowwHand]

Unions make it nearly impossible to get rid of scum. You really have to build a case with reprimands and whatever.

[duke o' york]

*Obviously I know nothing of the BNP

They're racist mother****ers, every man jack of them. Without being racist you have no hope of membership. They should all burn in whichever circle of hell Ben reserves for those who accuse President Obama of not being American.

[SlowwHand]

[KrazyHorse]

My understanding* is that the BNP winks at racism and such, but officially doesn't hold extremist views. They maintain a claim of deniability when it comes to the racism, saying that individual members hold these views. If you're a member of a group in the US that is clearly racist, but doesn't explicitly say so, I'm pretty sure you'd be allowed to be a police officer.

Are there examples of people in groups that don't explicitly advocate racism being denied employment?

*Obviously I know nothing of the BNP

I have no idea whether there are examples or not that would fit your criteria. I do know that this is NOT a matter of freedom of association.

[Kuciwalker]

Er, even though it may not be an illegal or unconstitutional infringment, it is an infringement and is probably pretty close to the line.

[Drake Tungsten]

Is there really a difference between a member of the BNP having a government job in the UK and a member of the GOP having a government job in the US?

[loinburger]

Yeah the BNP member is less racist harrrrrrr

[Drake Tungsten]

I think you're probably right about that.

[KrazyHorse]

Er, even though it may not be an illegal or unconstitutional infringment, it is an infringement and is probably pretty close to the line.

How the hell would it be close to the line, Kuci?