Piers Morgan Supports Lawbreaking

Social media platforms like Twitter, opined the host of TalkTV’s allegedly flagship programme The All-New Percy Moron Show, were for winding people up. “Twitter is for winding people up . . . it’s just a highly opinionated cesspit half the time. The trick is to use it to help yourself” he told the FT. He was in the opinion business, and “Twitter is very good for that”. Why so?

And what's more, Ron ...

“Because you can fire up debates, you can see what pops or doesn’t pop, what might make a column because you get a sudden huge reaction. It’s all quite scientific”. Scientific may not have been the first word that came to mind after Morgan intervened yesterday in a contempt of court case in the Irish Republic. But “confected culture war” and “trans bashing” just might.

As so often, it was the inmates of the Northcliffe House bunker who were already trying their utmost to frighten the readers, gasping in horror “Teacher who refused to use gender-neutral pronouns JAILED in Ireland”. Because using CAPITALS tells those readers what is VERY IMPORTANT, and indeed a part of WHAT THEY SHOULD BE THINKING. Morgan was incandescent.

The former editor of two national newspapers was also not bothering to do his research on why Enoch Burke (crazy name, crazy guy!?!?!) had found himself in jail. Instead, he predictably went into wind-up mode. “Jailed for not wanting to call a singular person ‘they’ - what a ridiculous farce. How can anyone believe this is right in a supposedly free, democratic society?”

How? Try reading the article first. Although it begins “A teacher who refused to use gender-neutral pronouns for a transgender student has been sent to Mountjoy prison for contempt of court”, it goes on to admit “Enoch Burke was arrested yesterday morning for breaching a court order not to teach at his Westmeath school, or be physically present there”. Contempt of court.

There was more. “After Judge Michael Quinn made his ruling, Mr Burke said: 'It is insanity that I will be led from this courtroom to a place of incarceration, but I will not give up my Christian beliefs.’” However, “The dispute began over his refusal to address a transitioning student as 'they' rather than 'he', as requested by the student and their parents in May, and agreed to by the Church of Ireland school”. It’s a church school. And there was more.

“This escalated to his suspension on the day before the start of the autumn term, pending the outcome of a disciplinary process. He had refused to remain away from the school on paid leave for that suspension, the court heard, and would sit in an empty classroom, declaring that he was there to work”. Burke had added dishonestly “I love my school, with its motto Res Non Verba, actions not words, but I am here today because I said I would not call a boy a girl”. But “they” is not “she”. Not that Morgan cares about that.

Burke was standing firm. “It is extraordinary and reprehensible that someone's religious beliefs on this matter could ever be taken as grounds for an allegation of misconduct … My religious beliefs are not misconduct. They are not gross misconduct. They never will be. They are dear to me. I will never deny them and never betray them, and I will never bow to an order that would require me to do so. It is just not possible for me to do that”.

So Piers Morgan is lining up with a real slice of Christian fundamentalism. Maybe he forgot that occasion five years ago when he mused “Christians have waged the most violence of any religion in history”. Or that “Extreme, blindly partisan opinion is pointless”. Or when he complained later that “People can't cope with calm, rational reason on Twitter. Only hysterical partisan extremism is allowed”. And now he’s indulging in it himself.

Is he that desperate to find material for that hugely expensive TalkTV show of his? You might wish to ask that. I couldn’t possibly comment.

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