Comedian Found Guilty Of A Hate Crime For Filming A DOG Giving A “Nazi Salute”

Some so-called comedian filmed a dog responding to “sig heil” and other nasty phrases by raising its paw.

DO I think this was a funny joke? Eh. Probably not. Really dumb, actually.

Do I think this is a HATE CRIME?! Not even close.

But a judge in Scottland does.

According to this:

LONDON — A Scottish man who filmed a dog appearing to give Nazi salutes was fined 800 pounds ($1,200) on Monday after being convicted of a hate crime, in a case that has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech.

Mark Meechan filmed his girlfriend’s pug responding to phrases such as “sieg heil” by raising its paw and posted the footage on YouTube in 2016.

Meechan — a comedian and video blogger who uses the name Count Dankula — said the stunt was meant as a joke, but he was convicted last month of posting “grossly offensive” material.

A judge at Scotland’s Airdrie Sheriff Court imposed the 800-pound fine Monday. Sheriff Derek O’Carroll said the video “contained menacing, anti-Semitic and racist material.” The dog was filmed responding to “Gas the Jews,” a phrase repeated 23 times in the video, O’Carroll said.

Yeah… super gross and not at all funny. But still… It worries me

The judge said that while the right to freedom of expression is very important, “in all modern democratic countries the law necessarily places some limits on that right.”

And this is the limit?

Outside court, Meechan, 30, said his conviction set a “really dangerous precedent” for free speech and he would appeal. His conviction drew expressions of concern from comedians such as Ricky Gervais. Several far-right commentators also championed Meechan’s right to post the video.

I don’t think standing up for free speech makes someone “far-right”…but ok, New York Post.

Meechan, whose Youtube channel bears the description “offensive social commentary in an accent you won’t understand,” said Scottish authorities have ignored the context of the dog video.

“It’s the juxtaposition of having an adorable animal react to something vulgar that was the entire point of the joke,” he said.

I’m not defending the joke… it was tasteless.

I’m defending the man’s right to make an entirely tasteless joke.

Many are glad he escaped prison time, which was on the table…

Hearing that #CountDankula has been spared jail, but will have to pay an £800 fine. What a joke. They should be paying him compensation for ruining two years of his life

— Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) April 23, 2018

If you’re happy Count Dankula only received a fine of 800 pounds instead of prison, you aren’t seeing the bigger picture. It’s the fact that he was sentenced at all for telling a joke that is the problem.

Free speech should not have a price tag attached to it by the government.

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 23, 2018

So #countdankula has been fined £800 (but spared a custodial sentence) for “offensive comedy”. Scottish justice should hang its head in shame. Have they NOTHING better to be doing in Scotland????

— David Vance (@DVATW) April 23, 2018

“Count Dankula” responded with a dig at… Kevin Spacey?

Hey guys all of this was just a social experiment and I now choose to live life as a gay man.

— Count Dankula🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@CountDankulaTV) April 23, 2018

Ok… now THAT is kinda funny.

Don’t care virgin. pic.twitter.com/m3VAzdwFgM

— Count Dankula🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@CountDankulaTV) April 23, 2018