Friday, January 21, 2011

A rather surprising victory for free speech in Australia

If conspiracy theories were to be used as grounds to discriminate against someone, the 50 million (or thereabouts) Americans who believe that the 9/11/2001 attacks were a hoax could also be discriminated against. And making someone's political opinions grounds for an adverse psychiatric diagnosis would be to go the way of the old Soviet union. And Christians -- who believe in an invisible entity -- would be at risk too. So kudos to the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal


A man declared a white supremacist by police and ruled a possible risk to public safety by a psychiatrist has been granted the right to possess a handgun.

Darryl Potts, who believes there is a Jewish conspiracy to destroy other races, had his AB firearms and probationary pistol licences revoked by police after he expressed "white supremacy views" to officers during an incident involving domestic violence.

But, in a landmark case, the Administrative Decisions Tribunal has ruled that, even though Mr Potts might hold extreme and offensive views, that does not mean he is mentally impaired and he is legally entitled to a firearm licence. The decision was at odds with the opinion of police, the Firearms Registry and a psychiatrist's clinical assessment that Mr Potts had the potential "to put public safety at risk".

Mr Potts, an elevator technician at Federal Parliament, pursued the case because he believed having a revoked firearm licence could affect his security clearance to work in government buildings. He said he wanted to take a stand against the trend of removing people's firearms.

Both during the case and in extensive interviews with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Potts made a series of bizarre claims about Jewish people. He told the tribunal he did not believe six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. "I say the six million is a load of hogwash," he said.

After having his licences reinstated, he said he believed Jews were plotting to dilute other races by encouraging mixed-race children and he had unwittingly played into their hands by having children with his Korean-born wife - from whom he has separated. "If I had've known this information I would not have participated in mixed-race marriage," he said.

He also said Jewish spies, posing as "Israeli art peddlers" were visiting his house because he was "a person of interest" to them.

After the 2009 domestic dispute at his estranged wife's house, the Firearms Registry referred Mr Potts to a psychiatrist on the basis that he "has expressed white supremacy [sic] ... views that have raised concerns regarding his mental health".

After Mr Potts stated, "I am a very angry man", the psychiatrist diagnosed him as having a personality disorder.

ADT member Peter Molony rejected the psychiatrist's opinion and ruled, "Mr Potts is an intelligent, manipulative and calculating man".

"The fact that he holds political and religious views and opinions that are offensive is not, in my opinion, sufficient to find that the public interest requires that he no longer hold a firearms licence," Mr Molony found. "To do so would be to embark on a slippery slope ... to totalitarianism."

SOURCE

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is not the only example of people being punished and persecuted for having opinions and beliefs that are at odds with the usual Leftist propaganda in places controlled by the Left. And while many may find Mr. Potts's remarks offensive, can they prove those remarks are not factual?

Anonymous said...

It's not that his views may be offensive is that they are clearly delusional and it does suggest mental instability. It all seems based on anger against his estranged korean wife. If he has a gun it's worrying.

Person! said...

I'm an American gun lover and owner. This is NOT someone who should be allowed to own a firearm. He is delusional and paranoid--he is convinced that he is being manipulated and stalked by unknown conspirators. He even described himself as "very angry." This man has a textbook case of paranoid schizophrenia and shouldn't be allowed near children or any kind of weapons.

The fact that you dislike Jews or Israelis is quite a lot different than believing you are being persecuted by them. His belief in persecution is not a political view, which (at least here in the U.S.) would be protected. It is a clear and obvious sign of mental defect, which in the U.S. prevents you from owning firearms due to the definite risk that you pose to others. Jared Loughner is mentally defective, and look what he did. If he was never allowed to own a firearm several people would still be alive today.

To Anonymous 2:39 am: can anybody prove that he IS being stalked and manipulated by Jews?

TheOldMan said...

I wonder if his children know that he wishes that they did not exist?

Anonymous said...

Australian civil tribunals are notorious for handing down decisions that go against strong public opinion.

This case will probably end up in the state supreme court on appeal as it should be.

Civil tribunals are a low budget no frills compromise in an attempt to circumvent expensive litigation in the courts, usually to resolve zoning disputes and minor issues with the state and local governments or your neighbours.

Personally I think they are a waste of public money.

Anonymous said...

I am sure I heard talk about him losing his job at parliament house over his views even if he gets to keep his gun licence.
Now that really is chilling.

John Q. Smith said...

"Now that really is chilling."

You what is more chilling? Being locked in a meat freezer.

Timorously Tremulous said...

Commissar Person!'s got popcorn for Branes, and is a clear advocate of Soviet style psychiatry and governance.

He feels himself personally sane and thus competent to declare or deem the experiences of others as either real or delusion while in complete and utter ignorance of the realities.

There are not conspirators nor conspiracies.

Fear is a great motivator and petty totalitarians are ever so keen to move the bleating masses by its use.

Because Person! is scared of something we must all change to ameliorate his/her condition...When will Person! be happy with the behaviour of others such that we may be graced with the magnanimity of a Person!al apporoval rating.....

Its all a bit worrying isn't it folks..

Fucking Pathetic.