Liars and Traitors
The Herald published an interesting article last week by Green MSP Ross Greer who argued that the 'lunatic fringe' of the independence movement should be called out over its behaviour.
I agree with that sentiment, I have to say, because it is possible for people to engage in robust debate and disagreement without resorting to personal abuse or bullying behaviour.
Although my own view, based on personal experience, is that the very worst of the 'wingnuts' will find this impossible because they revel in the kind of divisive language that ends up in decent people being casually derided as liars and traitors.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15456336.Ross_Greer__Time_to_show_the_door_to_the_lunatic_fringe_killing_the_independence_movement_with_its_bile/
Ross Greer: Time to show the door to the lunatic fringe killing the independence movement with its bile
By Ross Greer MSP - The Sunday Herald
Time to show the door to the lunatic fringe killing the independence movement with its bile
It’s been a torrid few weeks for the Yes movement. The deeply personal attacks on good people do not make the campaign for independence look like something a new activist would get involved with or that a floating voter would even give the time of day to. It would be a terrible mistake to pretend this is all new though. It is only the latest, angriest round of behaviour from a fringe who should have been called out, and if necessary cast out, a long time ago for their actions.
These conflicts often seem to boil down to a deep division between those who see independence as the end goal in itself and those for whom it’s a means to an end and part of a much bigger debate about the kind of world we want to live in. The issue isn’t political priorities though - debating those priorities is healthy. The issue is behaviour.
Take the example of what has been hurled at Cat Boyd [a prominent Yes activist who co-founded the left-wing Radical Independence Campaign] since she voted for Labour in June. From the hysterical, vitriolic reactions you’d have thought she personally stuffed enough ballot boxes to lose the SNP 21 seats. Those losses were in fact a mix of the inevitable and the party’s own fault.
Wingnuts Over Scotland (01/08/17)
I enjoyed this article by Angela Haggerty in The Herald which highlights a potential court case, a defamation action, involving the Labour leader Kezia Dugdale and the chap who runs the 'Wingnuts Over Scotland' web site, Stuart Campbell.
Now I don't know 'Wee Stu', never met the man and I'm blocked from his Twitter account; nor can I tell you if there's an agreed definition of what constitutes homophobic behaviour these days.
But if it 'walks like a duck and quacks like a duck', personal experience has always taught me to use my own judgment.
In fact, I wrote about Mr Campbell's ugly attack on David Mundell at the time which was very ill-judged if you ask me, because it focused on the man's sexuality rather than his politics.
As I shared my thoughts on my blog I asked myself the following question: "What kind of person thinks it's OK to speak in this vile manner, what's wrong with the man?"
Many years ago an old friend of mine responded to a persistent heckler at a trade union conference with the immortal words: "The more I hear from you, the more I believe in birth control" - which was genuinely funny because it was not about the heckler's sexuality or the sexuality of the heckler's dad.
The same cannot be said, I'm afraid, of Mr Campbell's ill-fated attempt at 'humour' at the expense of David Mundell.
And what's not clear to me is why 'Wee Stu' is suing Labour's Kezia Dugdale, but not the cabinet minister David Mundell or his son Oliver who also appear to have condemned the nasty little tweet as 'homophobic', according to the Daily Record and Sunday Mail.
The thing about 'jokes' is they are supposed to be funny, but who knows how this decidedly unfunny episode will end up or who will have the last laugh via the courts.
I doubt it will be the independence movement though because as someone who voted Yes in 2014, I have to say that I think the bullying language of the 'Wingnut-in-chief' is way, way over the top.
If you ask me, he must be a terribly arrogant, self-righteous individual if he thinks this business is worthy of a court case.
Yet, the biggest laugh of all lies in the fact that the 'gobby' Mr Campbell appears not to have the courage of his own convictions because he's asking other people to pay his legal costs.
Now that is hilarious.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15442390.Angela_Haggerty__Is_court_action_the_best_way_to_challenge_views_we_disagree_with_/
Angela Haggerty: Is court action the best way to challenge views we disagree with?
By Angela Haggerty - The Sunday Herald
Angela Haggerty: Is court action the best way to challenge views we disagree with?
DEFAMATION cases can backfire spectacularly. We need only look at the Tommy Sheridan case. After Sheridan successfully sued the News of the World over allegations about his sex life, he was then convicted of perjury. The bitter back and forth between Sheridan and his former colleagues in the Scottish Socialist Party dragged his reputation through the mud, and halted what may otherwise have been an enduring ascendency for the party.
Today, a new defamation case is on the horizon. Pro-independence blogger Stuart Campbell, who operates the Wings Over Scotland website, is suing Scottish Labour leader, unionist and gay woman Kezia Dugdale for damages of £25,000 after she accused him of making homophobic remarks.
At the centre of the case is a Wings Over Scotland tweet aimed at Oliver Mundell, son of gay Scotland Secretary David Mundell, which read: “Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner.”
Wingnuts Over Scotland (05/03/17)
Scotland's angriest 'Wingnut' is making the news headlines again after a particularly ugly Tweet at the expense of a gay cabinet minister, David Mundell.
The Sunday Mail reports that Stuart Campbell tried to laugh his remarks off by saying they were 'Toryphobic' which is nonsense, of course, because his comment was directed at the man's sexuality not his politics.
If you ask me, Campbell is to civic nationalism what Bernard Manning was to stand-up comedy - joyous he ain't.
Read the full report below in the link to The Daily Record/Sunday Mail.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/david-mundell-slams-indy-blogger-9963256
David Mundell slams Indy blogger Wings Over Scotland for 'homophobic' Tweet
Tory MSP Oliver Mundell, son of the openly gay cabinet secretary, also condemned the 'absolutely disgusting' comment.
BY KATRINE BUSSEY - The Sunday Mail/Daily Record
BY KATRINE BUSSEY - The Sunday Mail/Daily Record
Scottish Secretary David Mundell has blasted the tweet (Photo: Getty)
The Scottish Secretary and his Tory MSP son have blasted a "homophobic" tweet from controversial pro-independence blogger Wings Over Scotland.
When Oliver, the MSP for Dumfriesshire, addressed the Tory conference on Friday, the blog tweeted: "Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner."
David Mundell became the first openly gay Conservative Cabinet secretary when he came out in January 2015.
The Scottish Secretary reacted to the comment, saying: "This sort of behaviour has to be called out. We're not going to face down homophobia unless we call out people who practice it."
His son, who was elected to the Scottish Parliament last May, branded the Wings Over Scotland comment "absolutely disgusting and unacceptable".
But the blogger later insisted that the tweet was "Toryphobic" rather than homophobic.
The Conservative MP also reacted on Twitter, saying: "@NicolaSturgeon asks 'What kind of country do we want to live in?' My answer: not one where homophobia is acceptable."
The Scottish Secretary and his Tory MSP son have blasted a "homophobic" tweet from controversial pro-independence blogger Wings Over Scotland.
When Oliver, the MSP for Dumfriesshire, addressed the Tory conference on Friday, the blog tweeted: "Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner."
David Mundell became the first openly gay Conservative Cabinet secretary when he came out in January 2015.
The Scottish Secretary reacted to the comment, saying: "This sort of behaviour has to be called out. We're not going to face down homophobia unless we call out people who practice it."
His son, who was elected to the Scottish Parliament last May, branded the Wings Over Scotland comment "absolutely disgusting and unacceptable".
But the blogger later insisted that the tweet was "Toryphobic" rather than homophobic.
The Conservative MP also reacted on Twitter, saying: "@NicolaSturgeon asks 'What kind of country do we want to live in?' My answer: not one where homophobia is acceptable."
Wings Over Scotland is run by Stuart Campbell
'WIngnuts' Over Scotland (30/04/16)
I see that 'Wingnuts' Over Scotland's been in the news again with both The Herald and Daily Record reporting on the oafish antics of the angry wee Wingnut-in-chief, the not very reverend Stuart Campbell.
The Herald
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14456179.Anger_as_pro_independence_blogger_blames_Liverpool_fans_for_Hillsborough_disaster/?ref=ar
Anger as pro-independence blogger blames Liverpool fans for Hillsborough disaster
By Brian McLaughlin - The Herald
A PROMINENT blogger has come under fire for blaming Liverpool fans for the Hillsborough disaster despite an inquest vindicating them.
Stuart Campbell, the popular blogger who runs the pro-Independence website Wings over Scotland, faced demands to apologise after he stood by his views that Liverpool supporters were partly to blame for the 1989 tragedy.
On Tuesday, jurors in the Hillsborough inquest concluded that the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the disaster were unlawfully killed.
The Daily Record
Wings Over Scotland blogger slammed for blaming Liverpool fans for Hillsborough tragedy
BY RECORD REPORTER
PRO-INDEPENDENCE writer Stuart Campbell refuses to backtrack on his twisted claims view despite a court ruling the supporters were blameless and were unlawfully killed.
Wings Over Scotland blogger Stuart Campbell blames Liverpool fans for Hillsborough tragedy
A CONTROVERSIAL pro-independence blogger came under fire yesterday over comments made about the disaster.
Stuart Campbell, who runs Wings Over Scotland, was previously criticised for claiming Liverpool fanswere partly at fault over the deaths of the victims.
In 2012, the blogger insisted that “every single solitary person who died at Hillsborough was killed by Liverpool fans”.
But when asked on Twitter about the verdict yesterday, he said: “My thoughts are that anyone trolling for a reaction on it can go and get f***ed.”
Asked if his views had changed since 2012, he said: “No” and vowed to block those “trolling” him.
A CONTROVERSIAL pro-independence blogger came under fire yesterday over comments made about the disaster.
Stuart Campbell, who runs Wings Over Scotland, was previously criticised for claiming Liverpool fanswere partly at fault over the deaths of the victims.
But when asked on Twitter about the verdict yesterday, he said: “My thoughts are that anyone trolling for a reaction on it can go and get f***ed.”
Asked if his views had changed since 2012, he said: “No” and vowed to block those “trolling” him.
'Wingnuts' Over Scotland (14/03/16)
Because this blocking business arose after I criticised as 'juvenile and sexist' an image that was being promoted by 'Wings' (and some his online chums) to mock and ridicule JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.
Now the chap behind 'Wings' goes by the name of Rev Stuart Campbell who is not a real reverend, by the way, and lives in middle-England despite being a fervent Scottish nationalist.
But the Rev had the brass neck to say that I 'disrespected' him (as if he was deserving of my respect in the first place) during our Twitter exchange which focused on whether the image was crude and stereotypical.
Needless to say Wings and his Twitter pals thought differently, like naughty schoolboys at the back of the class with their name calling and personal abuse, although I could well imagine the uproar if Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had been portrayed in a similarly unpleasant light.
If you ask me, the Rev must suffer from 'wee man' syndrome which is familiar to folk in the west of Scotland; the symptoms normally affect vertically challenged males who are highly sensitive to criticism or ridicule while being in a permanently 'gobby' and angry state themselves.
In other words, they love to dish it out but they don't like it one little bit if others stand up to their boorish male behaviour.
From my short exposure to these Twitter loons I would rebrand them as 'Wingnuts' Over Scotland because their intolerant and oafish behaviour is a poor advert for Scottish independence which is presumably why Yes Scotland decided to disown Wings during the 2014 referendum campaign.
Or as Frankie Boyle remarked on Twitter recently:
"Can't help feeling that this persuading people to vote for Independence by telling them to go fuck themselves tactic has a few flaws."
Now that is funny, thoughtful and perceptive, and so much more important, politically speaking, than the angry, finger-jabbing invective that is often found on Twitter.
