Great Britain's Christian Voice proudly trumpets how its pressure silenced Patrick Jones' otherwise little-noticed reading from his book of poetry, Darkness is Where the Stars are.
Termed fundamentalist thugs by a member of the British Parliament, the group's web site reports:
A national bookstore chain have cancelled a reading of obscene and blasphemous poetry due to happen tonight after a 24-hour campaign by a Christian prayer and lobby group.
Waterstones were due to host Patrick Jones' poetry reading in their Cardiff store tonight, but less than 24 hours after Christian Voice members began contacting the store and Waterstones' top brass, the event has been pulled.
...
Just the knowledge that we were on our way has put the fear of God into the opposition.
Yes, the book's material is, in the author's words, harrowing, and the British, like most Americans, are confident adults can make their own decisions about whether or not to read it or hear it read. What they are refusing to tolerate, however, is the suppression of free speech embodied in cancellation under pressure of the Waterstones' reading.
Terry Sanderson of the Guardian writes:
Members of the Welsh Assembly have weighed in to condemn Waterstones, calling the cancellation a violation of the right to free speech. Now, Jones, will read his poems in a room at the Welsh Assembly on the invitation of Liberal Democrat assembly member Peter Black.
...
The whole ballyhoo has also brought an invitation for Patrick Jones to speak at the Hay literary festival next year. ...
Thuggery in this case gets its just deserts.
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