Slashdot Mirror
UK Government To Back Off Plans To Share Private Data
Richard Rothwell writes with news that Jack Straw, Britain's Justice Secretary, has made public plans to drop provisions from the Coroners and Justice Bill which would have allowed the government to take information gathered for one purpose and use it for any other purpose. "A spokesman for Mr Straw said the 'strength of feeling' against the plans had persuaded him to rethink. The proposals will be dropped entirely from the Coroners and Justice Bill, and a new attempt will be made to reach a consensus on introducing a scaled-back version at an unspecified stage in the future." After defending the government's intentions, Straw bowed to pressure from a variety of groups and individuals who presented objections to the bill.
The citizenry of the UK seems uninterested, held perhaps in the grip of a belief that the State generally means well.
Possibly, they're praying upon fear of the Muslim community. Xenophobia and ignorance along with actions by the Muslim community (riots over alleged slights against them) that give justification to some Briton's beliefs about said community, enables the UK Government to continue with these actions.
Because Jews and Christians would hold a committee meeting, or possibly send a strongly worded letter to the local newspaper. They might even get up the gumption to hold a bring-and-buy sale or a bingo game to raise funds for a placard or sign to hold up outside the town hall.
Muslims just kill you (long curvy sword for individual offenders), or several pounds of liquid explosive (useful for bulk intolerance sanitizing).