Word has traveled all the way to North America about a couple of hotel owners in Liverpool being criminally charged under the “Public Order Act” for getting into a religious discussion about Islam within earshot of at least one Muslim guest, who promptly ran crying to the police rather than speaking up for herself. Do what I do in movie theatres to loudmouths, lady – go tell them off. That’s how we do things in truly free countries. If someone shanks us linguistically, we stab them right back – then we get on with our lives. In New York, you have to throw someone into a wall before anyone in law enforcement will even raise an eyebrow – and even then, if the guy deserved to get thrown into a wall for being a jerk, no jury in New York will convict you.
Intelligent people, Muslims included, debate and challenge beliefs. The dumber ones burn flags, riot, blow things up, and call on the police to play schoolyard supervisor. I can’t think of any better argument in favour of making sure that any new immigrants have both a high IQ and the ability to speak fluent English upon arrival. Because they may get into a situation where someone says something with which they are at odds – and in that case, they need to be able to handle the situation using intelligence and verbal combat rather than the strong arm of the state. There are already enough people in any country who are stupid, uneducated meatheads; we should pull up the drawbridge on any new ones. Wife-beaters fall into that category: when one’s low IQ intersects with one’s rising blood pressure, that’s when Mr Hand becomes Mr Fist.
France, in particular, should be especially worried about the idea of importing such idiots to join the French Civilian Linguistic Lynch Mob. President Sarkozy decided last year to take a more lenient approach to the idea of requiring immigrants to actually pass their immigrant French course with a working knowledge of the native language. Bad idea – less communication means more rioting. France has already convicted its screen legend, Brigitte Bardot, on multiple counts of offending Muslims through “talking”. It seems that no one is smart enough to intellectually challenge a woman famous for shaking her booty on screen to a drumbeat.
When I engage in political debate in France, I’m more often than not met with accusations of “violent words” or “vulgarity”, typically for not having expressed myself in sugar-coated, easily swallowed, politically correct talking points. I prefer hard facts and sarcasm. Apparently, that makes me a linguistic Lord Wellington with an unholstered tongue-sword, indiscriminately massacring innocent dummies and the verbally challenged as I stroll down the Champs Elysées. Just line me up at The Hague behind George W Bush for crimes against humanity.