- 19 Feb 09, 15:02#90978
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
From BBC.co.uk:
Anti-gay preachers banned from UK
Fred Phelps has been banned from entering the UK along with his daughter
A father and daughter from a US church which preaches hatred of homosexuals have been banned from entering the UK by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper from the Westboro Baptist Church had urged protests against a play being put on in Hampshire.
Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke is staging The Laramie Project, a play about a man killed for being gay.
The UK Border Agency said it opposed "extremism in all its forms".
A spokesman added: "Both these individuals have engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities.
'Punished by God'
"The government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms.
"We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.
"The exclusions policy is targeted at all those who seek to stir up tension and provoke others to violence regardless of their origins and beliefs."
Members of the extreme anti-gay Westboro Baptist church picket the funeral of Lance Cpl Matthew Snyder in March 2006
The church's pickets of military funerals have outraged Americans
The Westboro church's website advertised the picket which was set to take place on Friday, proclaiming: "In merry old England they plan to further enrage the living God by putting on the farce known commonly as The Laramie Project.
"We will picket them, and see if they actually believe those lies they tell about how tolerant and accepting Brits are."
Hampshire Police said they were aware of the planned protest and officers were monitoring the situation.
The church was unavailable for comment on whether it expected UK-based members to carry out a protest at the college.
Members of the group - based in Topeka, Kansas - have denounced homosexuality for years and have in the past targeted the funerals of Aids victims.
In 2007, the church was told to pay $10.9m (£5.2m) after its members cheered a soldier's death as "punishment" for US tolerance of homosexuality.
I don't know how much everybody on this forum knows about the United Kingdom, but, like the United States, civil liberties are being needlessly and disgracefully eroded away by corrupt politicians. Last week, you may have heard, Geert Wilders was banned from entering the U.K. as well.
Now, I don't agree with absolutely anything Phelps has to say - far from it: I think religion is a blight on human civilisation and needs purged off our planet. Nor I am completely in agreement with Wilders' comments either. That said, in the Western world we are meant to have freedom of expression. It is the key thing which differentiates us from oppressive regimes in, say, Zimbabwe. Moreover, tens of millions of our ancestors have died for the relative freedoms we enjoy in the West; so rather than seeking to obliterate them, we should be doing our utmost to defend them. It really is scandalous that in the 21st century, the freedoms we enjoy in the West are not only being attacked by the likes of religious fanatics, but from people within our own culture. Further, has it never occurred to politicians in the U.S. and U.K. that banning things or cutting off communication with particular groups doesn't work. Look at Cuba. Look at Iran. Before the U.K. banned Wilders from entering, most people had not heard of him or his film. If he were allowed into the country, nothing would have been said about Wilders or his views, and people still would not have known about either. It's the same with this guy Phelps. I've only heard about him because of what I saw in the news today. Now I am fully aware of who he is and the despicable views he holds. We have got stop clamping down on freedom of speech and banning people whose views with which we don't agree. They are futile and self-defeating acts.
Anti-gay preachers banned from UK
Fred Phelps has been banned from entering the UK along with his daughter
A father and daughter from a US church which preaches hatred of homosexuals have been banned from entering the UK by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper from the Westboro Baptist Church had urged protests against a play being put on in Hampshire.
Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke is staging The Laramie Project, a play about a man killed for being gay.
The UK Border Agency said it opposed "extremism in all its forms".
A spokesman added: "Both these individuals have engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities.
'Punished by God'
"The government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms.
"We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.
"The exclusions policy is targeted at all those who seek to stir up tension and provoke others to violence regardless of their origins and beliefs."
Members of the extreme anti-gay Westboro Baptist church picket the funeral of Lance Cpl Matthew Snyder in March 2006
The church's pickets of military funerals have outraged Americans
The Westboro church's website advertised the picket which was set to take place on Friday, proclaiming: "In merry old England they plan to further enrage the living God by putting on the farce known commonly as The Laramie Project.
"We will picket them, and see if they actually believe those lies they tell about how tolerant and accepting Brits are."
Hampshire Police said they were aware of the planned protest and officers were monitoring the situation.
The church was unavailable for comment on whether it expected UK-based members to carry out a protest at the college.
Members of the group - based in Topeka, Kansas - have denounced homosexuality for years and have in the past targeted the funerals of Aids victims.
In 2007, the church was told to pay $10.9m (£5.2m) after its members cheered a soldier's death as "punishment" for US tolerance of homosexuality.
I don't know how much everybody on this forum knows about the United Kingdom, but, like the United States, civil liberties are being needlessly and disgracefully eroded away by corrupt politicians. Last week, you may have heard, Geert Wilders was banned from entering the U.K. as well.
Now, I don't agree with absolutely anything Phelps has to say - far from it: I think religion is a blight on human civilisation and needs purged off our planet. Nor I am completely in agreement with Wilders' comments either. That said, in the Western world we are meant to have freedom of expression. It is the key thing which differentiates us from oppressive regimes in, say, Zimbabwe. Moreover, tens of millions of our ancestors have died for the relative freedoms we enjoy in the West; so rather than seeking to obliterate them, we should be doing our utmost to defend them. It really is scandalous that in the 21st century, the freedoms we enjoy in the West are not only being attacked by the likes of religious fanatics, but from people within our own culture. Further, has it never occurred to politicians in the U.S. and U.K. that banning things or cutting off communication with particular groups doesn't work. Look at Cuba. Look at Iran. Before the U.K. banned Wilders from entering, most people had not heard of him or his film. If he were allowed into the country, nothing would have been said about Wilders or his views, and people still would not have known about either. It's the same with this guy Phelps. I've only heard about him because of what I saw in the news today. Now I am fully aware of who he is and the despicable views he holds. We have got stop clamping down on freedom of speech and banning people whose views with which we don't agree. They are futile and self-defeating acts.
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
