Former broadcaster and Maori Party candidate Derek Fox has been criticised after blaming the victims of the Paris terror attack. Fox said on Facebook said the editor of French satirical magazine Charlie Hedbo had paid the price for his bigotry and arrogance. Three gunmen shouting Allahu akbar! killed eight journalists and a visitor at the magazines Paris office and two police officers as they fled the scene. Fox wrote that Charlie Hedbo editor Stephane Charbonnier was a bully who had abused free speech and was now responsible for the deaths of his colleagues. The editor of the French magazine has paid the price for his assumption of cultural superiority and arrogance, he was the bully believing he could insult other peoples culture and with impunity and he believed he would be protected in his racism and bigotry by the French state. Well he was wrong, unfortunately in paying the price for his arrogance he took another 11 people with him. He continued: Power cultures all like to use the old chestnut of freedom of speech when they choose to ridicule people who arent exactly like them, and mostly they get away with it. Fox said in this Facebook post that the privilege of free speech brought with it responsibility and ramifications. These guys liked the privilege but didnt think theyd be caught up in the ramifications - they were wrong. This should serve as a lesson to other people who believe they can use the power they wield by way of dominating the media to abuse and ridicule others they believe to inferior to them - just like [in] this country. Mr Foxs Facebook post attracted strong criticism. National Party list MP Chris Bishop said it was a horrific, ridiculous, shameful comment, adding that supporting freedom of speech was a human right, not cultural supremacy. On social media condemnation of Fox was fierce. One person taking part in Facebook debate said: Derek, to suggest that the staffs of that paper effectively asked to be murdered for their views is pretty idiotic. You were once a broadcaster, of sorts. Im sure you had opinions that ran counter to other people and likely caused offense. Do you think those offended people would have been justified in murdering you and the people you worked with?
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:35:01 +0000
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