Teens Are Being Arrested For Wearing Concert Shirts
Posted by Dan Haggerty on 06.24.2008
An alarming article on music fans being arrested for "Indecency".
Australia's Herald Sun reports that a Gold Coast teenager has been charged by police for wearing a blasphemous t-shirt degrading Jesus. The boy, 16, was stopped by police in Biggera Waters after he was spotted wearing a t-shirt which claims "Jesus is a Cunt" and depicts a nun masturbating. It is a t-shirt for English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth, and the teen was charged with offensive behaviour under the Summary Offences Act 2005 for public nuisance on Monday.
The incident has sparked debate about Australia's lack of a Bill of Rights, but Sen-Sgt Arron Ottaway defended charging the teen: "I'm not religious but that's just offensive." Police conducted inquiries at Australia Fair shopping centre, where the teen said he bought the shirt, to find any shops selling it.
Metro newspaper reported in October 2005 that a British teenage heavy metal fan had been handed a community service order for wearing the Cradle of Filth "Jesus is a Cunt" t-shirt. Adam Shepherd, who was 19 at the time, was reportedly convicted under the then-new anti-hate laws which ban people from displaying religiously insulting signs. The teenager was arrested after a woman complained to police when she saw his shirt, which shows a picture of a nun in a pornographic pose. The top was being worn by Shepherd's girlfriend when a police officer approached her. As soon as the teenager realized there was a problem, he told the officer it was his and swapped tops with his girlfriend. But he refused to take it off or cover it up and was arrested. Weymouth magistrates gave him 80 hours community service and told him to pay $70 in fines.
Meanwhile, MediaWatchWatch.org.uk reported that the wearing of this T-shirt has led to at least two previous convictions in the UK. Dale Wilson, 35, of Norwich, was arrested by two police officers as he walked to the newsagents on Halloween 2004. He pleaded guilty to "religiously aggravated offensive conduct." He was eventually discharged and told to "grow up." He paid $260 costs, and the judge ordered that the T-shirt be destroyed.
Back in 1997, Rob Kenyon, 29, of London was found guilty of committing the offense of "Profane Representation under the 1839 Act" by Bow Street Magistrates Court. He was also fined. Cradle of Filth drummer Nicholas Barker was also arrested in Dover and charged with "creating a public disorder" for wearing the same t-shirt. There were no further proceedings against him.
In 2001, the then-Lord Provost of Glasgow, Alex Mosson, campaigned to have the t-shirt prevented from being sold at Tower Records. The record shop was raided on two occasions by police, and eventually agreed to stop stocking the garment. The Catholic League of America, back in 1998 and 1999 also complained bitterly about the t-shirt.
Sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. I mean, yeah, it's offensive, it's 'Anti-Christian', blah, blah, blah. Don't like it?
IGNORE THE FUCKING SHIRT.
Posted By: Guest#2386 (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 10:25 PM
Soooooo if someone was outside in the streets with a megaphone using obscenities, I should just ignore him? I hope the cops beat the shit out of that kid in addition to arrest
Posted By: Jamal (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I'm sure you'd just ignore me if I walked around in front of you with a shirt that insulted your beliefs, religious or otherwise.
Posted By: Guest is an idiot (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 10:40 PM
The last time I checked there are always christian nut jobs preaching on the streets with megaphones. They offend anyone who isn't a christian by telling them they are going to burn in hell, yet they are protected by the laws. Sounds like a double standard to me.
Posted By: Anthony (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 10:46 PM
The shirt sounds stupid to me, but there's no reason to arrest the kid. This reminds me of when I, a white man, wore a "Fuck White Supremacy" Tshirt to college. The professor told me he was very offended by it and if I ever wore it again that he would file a grievance suit against me. I figured a white professor being anti-anti-white supremacist must mean that he is one. People get disgusted over the most ridiculous things. I would've loved to hear what George Carlin would have to say about this.
Posted By: Sev (Registered) on June 24, 2008 at 10:54 PM
"
Soooooo if someone was outside in the streets with a megaphone using
obscenities, I should just ignore him? I hope the cops beat the shit
out of that kid in addition to arrest"
Yeah, because wearing a shirt and not causing any sort of noise commotion is the exact same thing...retard.
Posted By: Guest#7680 (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 10:55 PM
yeah but they don't have shirts with darwin masturbating or something like that. think of the children, damn it.
Posted By: Guest#9034 (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 11:00 PM
I don't think it's the fact that the shirt is Anti-Christian; it's the fact that the shirt is breaking the indecent exposure law. You can't wear the image of a woman masturbating on your shirt for others to see. That coming out of me and I'm a Liberal.
Posted By: Nitefall (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 11:01 PM
I would arrest the boy's parents as they obviously fail hard at parenting.
Posted By: Anonymous (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 11:26 PM
I wouldn't want my little girl seeing something like that. It's filthy, and those who defend suck the balls of evil; so book the kid; oil him up; prepare him!
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 11:29 PM
It's not really the anti-Christian bias in effect here; I mean, 'Satan is a Cunt' would probably be arrest-worthy too. You know.. cunt. It's a filthy word. That, and masturbation. Not PC, people.
But, you guys thought it was because it made fun of Jesus. Oh, you silly antiChristians, haha.
Posted By: Another thing,, (Guest) on June 24, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Murder..Rape..Violence...Poverty...and we worry about t-shirts, bad words, and masterbating.
Posted By: Remy (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 12:01 AM
"Murder..Rape..Violence...Poverty"
Add in a synth-reverb and a cool beat and you could havea new KMFDM song.
In all seriousness, though, those things are just the facts of life. Why make life more sad? I know I don't want to be more sad.
Again, lather that kid up; he's about to meet Crocodile Bob!
Posted By: Christopher Warrior (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 12:05 AM
You know there is little thing called the first amendment. Maybe some of you should look it up. This world is descending into a fascist state at an exponential rate these days.
Here are some more examples of free speech: Jesus, the original zombie... ; Mother Teresa, compelled by Christ, oh yeah and so was Hitler. Isn't it great to do the lords work.
Why can't you follow his words and turn the other cheek?
You can't regulate on matters of morality or decency, they are only opinions. By doing so, it suggests you support oppression and bigotry.
You have every right to disagree with these statements I've made, but to censor my ideas and perspective is unpatriotic.
What comes next? Fines and arrests for the overweight, shouldn't they know better than to go out in public where they can be seen? They're just so damn fat, They chose to live that way and it offends my sense of decency.
Satire; fun and educational.
Posted By: NEObraska (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 02:30 AM
FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT APPLY IN A COUNTRY WITH NO BILL OF RIGHTS
Posted By: read the story (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 05:04 AM
Freedom of speech does not protect a shirt saying "Jesus is a cunt". If such a sentiment were considered protected in public than all public decency laws simply could not exist.
And to the morons saying "ignore the shirt". Fine, but what of parents out with their kids, should they have to shield their kids in public or explain that language. Maybe you would like to explain to kids what a cunt is, and why it is a relevant social statement?
This is not "anti-christian" it is merely anti- basic decency. Is any semblance of social decorum interpreted as Draconian restrictions on free expression? The shirt does not express some critique of religion, it expresses the childish desire to randomly and indiscriminately insult everyone one encounters. Do you have to be christian to find this obnoxious and offensive? I am pretty sure every chick, regardless of creed, objects to 'cunt'? (they fucking hate that word like no other)
What if christians walked around in shirts that said "athiests are child molesting fuckwits who want to give your children Aids". Would you really not complain about that? Would you suck it up and ignore it? Would you tell yourself it is a valid expression of ideas and not merely an attempt to incite others? If you say yes, you are just a liar, in addition to a child molesting fuckwits who want to give children Aids.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 06:11 AM
People feel free to insult Christians not because Christians are hypocritical (anyone who claims they are not a hypocrite is just a lying hypocrite) but because there is really no downside to insulting Christians.
Try printing and distributing shirts that say "Fuck Allah" and "Mohammed is a cunt". I doubt any of you d-bags would have the balls to do something like that.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 06:21 AM
HA!
Oh Australia. First you say Santa Claus is no longer aloud to utter the words "Ho, Ho, Ho" because you believe it degrades women...and now this.
Hey, I have a lovely little shirt with the picture of (the now late) George Carlin and on the back says (in blue lettering): "Simon Says: Go Fuck Yourself". Remind me to bring that along on my trip to Sydney.
Posted By: mossby (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 08:52 AM
How about society is the way it is because we allow shit like this.Maybe we've allowed too many rights and that's why this country is in a downward spiral.Nobody respects anybody or anything anymore.It's very evident by some of these posts.
The disrespectful bastards should be ashamed.
Posted By: Guest#0391 (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Yes indeed. Make more innocent people guilty for the hell of it.
Posted By: Guest#0655 (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Good. Does he really need attention that much he has to wear a shirt like that?
Douchebag
Posted By: Kevin (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 11:58 AM
There is a difference between profane and Pornography. It's really hard to get someone in trouble for using profanity or having profanities on their clothes, but having something pornographic is different. I am an atheist, but I wouldn't want my daughter seeing a shirt like that.
Posted By: GoodnDrunk (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 07:30 PM
Good. There is absolutely no purpose to wear that shirt EXCEPT to piss people off...and he did
So he got what he wanted.
Posted By: Mikel (Registered) on June 25, 2008 at 10:13 PM
a lot of you people making comments keep talking like this happened in America. It didn't, it happened in Australia. Read the article.
Posted By: Guest#9481 (Guest) on July 03, 2008 at 01:52 PM
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