The resident British fascist party, the British National Party (BNP), or as we affectionately call them, the BNP will be appearing on the television program Question Time. It is a program, aired by the BBC in which panelists (usually politicians or subject specialists) answer questions posed to them by a live audience. There has been much controversy surrounding this particular episode of Question Time as some critics argue that putting the BNP leader Nick Griffin alongside other political parties such as the more “mainstream†Labor, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties would give Griffin and his posse an air of legitimacy. Although one could question the level of legitimacy that mainstream British politicians have anyway. This is not about whether I agree with the BBC or not, it is about understanding why they decided to give airtime to someone who they have previously gone out of their way to condemn. You can see what the BBC is trying to do. They have recently been caught up in many a broil, with many different sides demanding that as a corporation they take a stand. At least, that is how they BBC appear to see it, and as a news organization, their objective is to remain unbiased. In a country that professes freedom of speech, it is almost admirable that the BBC is determined to be unfazed by outside pressure. Indeed many of the critics who criticize the channel would likely support them if it were any other program (particularly if that program were Britain’s Most Wanted). The BBC’s critics would probably join me in hailing them if they decided to put Griffin under the piercing fist of Jeremy Paxman on their take-no-prisoners program Newsnight. I have no doubt that Griffin would probably either end up looking like a tool or perhaps even empty his fascist little bowels. The problem is that the BBC critics fear the power that Nick Griffin might have if he promotes a racist agenda on a reputable television show. Griffin openly denies Holocaust and would see unsavory characters such as myself sent back to wherever it is we came from. We should remind ourselves that it was also the BBC that aired The Secret Agent an undercover documentary that exposed the innermost (and rather petty) workings and opinions of the BNP, with Griffin claiming that Islam is “a wicked, vicious faithâ€. Watch him on YouTube and you’ll see what an irony that is coming from him. Alanis Morisette would be impressed. The answer for the BBC is simple, they should show their documentary that portrays the BNP for the Brutes-in-Suits that they are, thereby satiating their critics and giving Griffin the Question Time throne that he so desires. They can even give him a white fluffy cat and an eye patch if he wants to go for the full effect. There have been many calls made to cancel, boycott and protest the program. John Mann, chairman of the all party group on anti-Semitism told TimesOnline that “It’s absurd to give the BNP any space. This is how Hitler came to power and these people have got the same objectives.†Whilst we might agree with Mann, we should try have faith that the British people will not be drawn in by such drivel. As a nation we are better than that. Here’s hoping that the questions Nick Griffin gets posed are bad ass. Give him hell, Britain. BM
