08 June 2010: 'The Right to Offend?'

Sticks and Stones Do we have a right to be protected from those who would offend our values, or is it our right to free speech that matters?

Tim Black from Spiked Online visits from London to passionately defend freedom of speech. He argues that, for a democracy to thrive, for ideas to be thoroughly and rigorously debated, there can be no right to freedom from offence. He believes that no value or idea, if it is to be worth anything, should be beyond questioning, no matter how offended some might be. To claim offence, as it stands right now, simply closes down debate.

He is challenged by local lass, Fakhara Rehman who is coordinator for The Kirklees Faith Forum. Fakhara urges caution and says that with the right to freedom of speech comes responsibility. She suggests that the media shapes our view of the world - what we 'know' about current affairs and what's going on in the world is through the news. But is the news really a source of information? Or is it a manipulation tool and we’re not really as free in our minds as we think we are?

Enough to get you started? Come and join us for a lively debate!

Refreshments available.