A man’s light-hearted reference to Jon Sopel’s book title led to a police investigation for racial hatred, raising concerns over non-crime hate incidents.
Wiltshire: So, there’s this wild story about Jon Sopel’s book causing a bit of a stir. A guy in Wiltshire quoted the title of Sopel’s book, “If Only They Didn’t Speak English: Notes from Trump’s America,” during a chat. Next thing you know, he’s being investigated by the police for racial hatred. Can you believe it?
The man thought he was just having a friendly conversation with an American. He even sent a follow-up email saying the book was meant to be an affectionate take on the US. But, the police didn’t see it that way. They showed up at his door to give him a talking-to about his supposedly racist comments.
Now, here’s the kicker: this whole thing got recorded as a non-crime hate incident. It’s not a criminal charge, but it can still pop up on background checks for jobs, especially those working with kids or vulnerable folks. Talk about a headache!
Jon Sopel himself chimed in, saying it’s ridiculous. He meant the book to show how different the US is from the UK, and many Americans actually find it funny. The Free Speech Union is backing the guy, saying it’s absurd that police time was wasted on this.
They’re pushing for the incident to be wiped from the records, arguing it doesn’t meet the criteria for a hate incident. The police have been under scrutiny for how they handle these non-crime hate incidents, and this case is just adding fuel to the fire.
In the end, the man is worried this whole mess could hurt his chances of getting a volunteer job. It’s a real shame that a light-hearted comment could lead to such serious consequences. Wiltshire Police have been asked for their take on the situation, but it’s still a bit of a head-scratcher.
