Councillor faces inquiry over ‘stupid’ Scientologists tweet

[Sponge]

Edit 28/9/2010: Latest thread update:
John Dixon has been cleared! 7:1 vote.
Jump to this post: viewtopic.php?p=381920#381920

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BBC Newsnight:
YOUTUBE VIDEO Now Up!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei2U9FlL4_Y

Councillor faces inquiry over ‘stupid’ Scientologists tweet
Wales online & various sources 20th July 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... -26886933/

Councillor faces inquiry over tweet calling Church of Scientology 'stupid'
Watchdog says Cardiff councillor John Dixon's Twitter message 'likely' to have breached code of conduct for local authority members
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... logy-tweet

This is turning out to be quite bizarre and hilarious.
See it unfold in the WWP thread....
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/15-media ... ales-69608

My brush with the Church of Scientology
20 Jul10 by Padraig Reidy
The news that Cardiff councillor John Dixon could face disciplinary action after implying in a tweet that the Church of Scientology was “stupid” has caused consternation online. But Scientologists often complain about representations of them in print, broadcast and online (as is their right).
My own experience of this came in winter 2003/2004, when I was working at New Humanist magazine......
http://blog.indexoncensorship.org/2010/ ... ientology/

The Telegraph....
20th July 2010
The Multicultural Inquisition: Scientology is NOT the greatest threat to religious freedom
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwes ... s-freedom/
See also, related: viewtopic.php?t=32684

Metro (London)
20th July 2010
Twitter debate fires up over councillor's 'stupid Scientology' post
The latest web-based free speech debate has kicked off after a Cardiff councillor took to Twitter to describe the Church of Scientology as 'stupid'.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/835633-twit ... ology-post

The Telegraph again....
21st July 2010
Councillor faces suspension for calling Scientology 'stupid'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/t ... tupid.html

BBC News (Wales)
21st July 2010
Cardiff councillor's Scientology tweet goes to watchdog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-sout ... s-10709956

Tweet calling Scientology Church ‘stupid’ lands councillor in trouble
http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/ ... 0072265364

The Telegraph yet again....
The new Inquisition
Telegraph View: The law has established a climate within which pettiness flourishes to the detriment of any common sense.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/tele ... ition.html

The new Inquisition
Telegraph View: The law has established a climate within which pettiness flourishes to the detriment of any common sense.

The Telegraph 21st July 2010

A councillor faces suspension for dismissing Scientology as "stupid"; another is convicted of racial harassment for calling a colleague a coconut; a householder is made to feel like a racist for objecting to a gipsy site near his home. Every day, it seems, brings another tale of how comments that a few years ago would have been regarded as nothing worse than rudeness – or simply a difference of opinion – have either been criminalised or considered a justification for disciplinary action.

In large part, this is a consequence of the laws introduced by the last government, notably the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which created the offence of racially aggravated harassment, and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. Although there have not been prosecutions in two of the cases mentioned above, there might have been. John Dixon, the Welsh Lib Dem councillor with a dim view of Scientology, faces a ban from office for "failing to show respect and consideration to others"; and Chris Hollis, who objected to the gipsy site near Bristol, was admonished by his local authority because his letter contained "discriminatory and insulting arguments".

..more in article link...

The Guardian.....
22nd July 2010
Scientology's problem with Twitter
As support for local councillor John Dixon shows, Scientologists
may have a harder time silencing critics online than elsewhere
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... gy-twitter


CNET UK Podcast 196: Be careful what you say on Twitter
23rd July 2010
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/podcast/cnet-uk ... -50000055/

The Guardian....
23rd July 2010
Another councillor makes 'stupid' slip
Cardiff Councillors yesterday debated the use of new media, leading another councillor to make the 'stupid' slip
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/ ... ons-stupid

Humanist & Secularist Liberal Democrats.....
HSLD exclusive: Cllr. John Dixon responds to the "stupid Scientology" saga
24th July 2010
http://www.hsld.org.uk/news/000036/hsld ... _saga.html
Nice article. Do read.

Wales online....
Pursuit of Tweeter is barking... unlike Scientology
25th July 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/colum ... -26924672/

Date set for city councillor’s fate (September 28th 4:30pm)
Wales online 28th July 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... -26945118/

Call for action on suspension of councillors
Wales Online 19th August 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh ... -27092156/

Columnist Dan O’Neill: Why respect beliefs most of us consider are loony?
Wales Online 8th Sept 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/colum ... -27222231/
------

UrbanDictionary.com - Stupidology

[antiscn]

Haha,this is birlliant..councillors often make gaffs but this is one that everybody agrees with!I'm sure the CoS is delighted at the prospect of him getting into trouble for this but in fact it will only continue the trend of poplular opinion being against the cult.
Excellent!

[Sponge]

He appeared on BBC Newsnight

Replay will be here (for UK-only viewers I think):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/n ... efault.stm
or Newsnight IPlayer home:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/newsnight

* He's sticking by his defence that it was a remark made in a personal capacity
* he went full on with the Justice Latey "corrupt, sinister and dangerous"
* Presenter Kirsty Walk had to stop him going into Justice Latey's remarks about the cults practices (because they can't check the allegations out on a live programme...even though it was a fucking court case!).

I'll see if I can grab the segment from the IPlayer when it comes up (or someone will) and youtube it for everyone.
EDIT: YOUTUBE VIDEO Now Up!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei2U9FlL4_Y

In the meantime, here is a BBC blog article that popped up today...
Twitter and Scientology: Don't use the 'S'-word
Rory Cellan-Jones 20 July 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters ... ont_u.html

[Judith Anderson]

But the very word "stupid" is time-honored and most serviceable. There are in existence situations where only the word "stupid" truly fits and some of them can only be found in Scientology.

[Sponge]

*bump*
Video is available on BBC iPlayer and a YouTube link to just the "stupid scientology" segment posted above.
Also more news media links added to the OP.

[Sponge]

London Friday 23rd July 2010 - "The Stupid it Burns" Raid
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/281-euro ... aid-69759/
Operation Stupid.....
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/26-think ... upid-69760

[Sponge]

http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=17399
Standards & Ethics Committee meeting is on 27 JULY 2010 AT 4.30 PM

Item 8 on the agenda, scheduled for 5:35 for 15 minutes is "Report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales concerning Councillor John Dixon"
http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=17403

^Also keep checking top post for new news media articles being added there^

[Sponge]

*bump*

If Cllr Dixon needs a recent proven example of the stupid rubbing off on people walking past a scientology shop then he only has to look at Saturday's Manchester Evening News which reports that a scientologist suffered and assault when they tried to do a stress test on an obviously drunk and agitated member of the public....
viewtopic.php?t=32696
Based on that court evidence, clearly Dixon was wise when he rushed passed the cult's TCR Lonodon org/church/shop/thingy to avoid the stupid rubbing off on him and we are glad that he Tweeted that fact to warn us and let us know he was OK.

In other news, at short-notice and to coincide with the Standards & Ethics Committee meeting on the 27th (tomorrow) a "Support Cllr John Dixon raid" is being suggested. Planning thread here...
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/121-flas ... xon-69841/

On twitter from John Dixon 22:29pm ....

RT @Anonymoosh: #Anonymous #StupidScientology #Scientology Anon flash raid TCR 5pm 27/7/10 in support of @JohnLDixon | Look forward to pics!

[Sponge]

^more *bumpety bump*

Councillor facing disciplinary hearing becomes international sensation – thanks to Twitter [for calling scientology STUPID]
Wales Online 27th July 2010
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonl ... -26936965/

[...]

He added: “One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked is “Do I regret it?”

“Well, I’ve got to talk with [free speech lawyer and blogger] Jack of Kent, one of the toppest blokes drawing breath today. I now know that I’m not the only one who can’t understand why the complaint has got as far as it has. And, according to Ed Walker from Media Wales, their web page with the story on got sort of traffic normally reserved for stories about Charlotte Church.

“But mostly a lot of people had the chance to talk about what Mr Justice Latey described as a “corrupt, sinister and dangerous” organisation and free speech.

“What’s to regret about that?”

The Ombudsman’s report criticising Councillor Dixon goes to Cardiff council’s Standards and Ethics committee today.

[Sponge]

Dixon Twitter case due to be heard in September | Wales Online | 27th July 2010

Flashmob of 2 outside church of scientology on Tottenham Court Rd
posted by @alicebhand from Twitter for iPhone 3 hours 27 mins ago

[Sponge]

"Support Cllr. John dixon" Raid - Post game report.....
http://forums.whyweprotest.net/281-euro ... ame-69930/

A good raid today.
I got there just after 5,and saw my bro talking to the BBC reporter from across the street.Also saw a sci with a pc keyboard in hand trying to fix a tec issue with the new tv screen they have installed at tcr.
I crossed over the road and was introduced to the reporter.
The anon who was talking to the reporter gave a good interview,and explained anonymous,scientology and how they have treated critics from the past and present.
Got good feed back from the public,the sci's none at all.
The org was fully manned(like they were expecting trouble)
The sci in the end got the screen running,and the dianetics vid was played.
I feel sorry for passers by for they will have to listen to scientology drivel as they go past.

See link for pics.

[Simonymous]

One of the pix from the raid. It had some errors so I cleaned it up a little...

[Sponge]

Wales.org - Independent analysis from and about Wales.....

Abolish this kangaroo court
Sun 15 Aug 2010 By Rene Kinzett, Wales.org
http://waleshome.org/2010/08/abolish-th ... roo-court/

Interestinggggg

[Sponge]

Sort of related but very topical: Local Government Ombudsman trampling on another councillors freedom of speech...

Pembrokeshire councillor's 'Old Grumpy' blog inquiry
A councillor is being investigated by the local government ombudsman for comments made on his "Old Grumpy" blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-sout ... s-11037365

Is this a Wales thing or are we going to see more councillors shut up nationally for uttering their thoughts on the internet, be it "stupid scientology" or whatever.

MPs know that councillors can be a pain in the ass (especially independent ones) ... because they get often shit done without regard to unwritten bullshit pseudo-political protocol so I doubt you'll get many MPs being as outraged as the general public would be.

[toml]

Hi all (and Sponge in particular)

All this was of course started by my former schoolfriend, John Wood, who is also the reason why I first came to this site and began protesting against Scientology.

He was a rather silly boy and has become a very silly man.

Scientology does not appear to have changed that .

Sounds like he needs to do the Stupid Rundown.

Best wishes to all here

TomL

Just passing through