David Norris cranks up his private war machine

Czarcasm wrote: »

I think he doesn't get enough criticism levelled at him Lou simply for the fact that he's a blustering, pompous windbag full of his own self importance. Then again so is Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, so I DO understand where you're coming from. I think the reason neither of them are as heavily criticised as they should be is because they are 'character' politicians, could never be taken seriously and are merely humoured, but both are skilled at riding on the coat tails of social change.





David Norris gives people plenty of reasons to dislike him other than the fact that he's gay. He's a man who likes to portray himself as the incorruptible intellectual, but scratch a bit deeper than the jovial surface and the drama queen doesn't be long coming out, where he thinks in the highest echelons of the political sphere, it's acceptable to tell another politician she's talking out her fanny; "The Regina monologues" was it? Dogs on the street wouldn't be so disgusting.





You also seem to be overlooking the fact Lou that the same people who tolerated a lot worse in other politicians (Me personally, they could bleed the country dry, but pleading leniency for their ex lover like it could create a diplomatic incident? Far less kosher tbh). Despite this perceived media smear campaign, Norris was streets ahead in the polls in the run up to the Presidential Elections, but he only had himself to blame for his flaky behaviour - "I'm in, I'm out, I'm back in, OK, this time I mean it, I'm out, now leave me alone!". Really, is that any way to be carrying on when the world's eyes are on you?





There's no double standard in play here Lou, unless you mean the double standards of Norris himself when he uses his sexuality to promote himself, and then uses his sexuality again to claim persecution and protect himself from criticism. Most people couldn't care less for his sexuality, but the hypocrisy, spin, and his thinking that he can say what he likes and get away with what he likes - one thing to do it as a private citizen, quite another when you're a public figure that is supposed to conduct themselves with an expected standard of behaviour. Norris falls well short of that standard in many ways and has done for years, but was allowed get away with it for far too long because people feared accusations of homophobia if they so much as said boo to the man.

No that is BS. Many people do care.

And it is constantly used to insinuate.

And the whole pederasty comments thing is WHAT he is actually suing over he claims he never such such things apparently.

He does not use his sexuality he just does not hide it.

It is heternormative bias that makes anyone being out seem like they are rubbing peoples faces in it.

He can be overly theatrical and bafoonish.

But it appears that he was defamed and slandered during the presidential campaign (other candidates where too it was a very dirty campaign.)

A week before he made the fanny comment during a vote on abortion an FG politician grabbed a woman in public and pulled her onto his lap IN THE DÁIL and nothing was done. Double standard??

He made a REAL change in Ireland. Senator David Norris and the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform which led to a ruling in 1988 that Irish laws prohibiting male homosexual activities were in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights. It was HIS case that was taken to the European court of human rights and got homosexuality decriminalized.

It was only outside pressure from the EU convention on human rights that pressurized the govt to act.

Norris took the Attorney General to the High Court over the criminalisation of homosexual acts. His claim was based on the fact that the law infringed on his right to privacy and that since the introduction of the Constitution of Ireland the law passed under British rule became repugnant to the constitution. The High Court ruled against Norris. He appealed his case to the Supreme Court of Ireland. In 1983, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law by a three to two verdict Having lost the Supreme Court case, Norris took his case to the European Court of Human Rights (See Norris v. Ireland). In 1988, the European Court ruled that the law criminalising same sex activities was contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular Article 8 which protects the right to respect for private life. The law was held to infringe on the right of adults to engage in acts of their own choice. This law was repealed in 1993.

The Irish govt was beaten kicking and scream into decriminalizing homosexuality in 1993. And Norris V Ireland did that.

Read your history.

He says the word fanny. In a debate and the stupid woman Lorraine Higgins kicks up a fuss over nothing. And by the way she WAS talking out of her fanny.

TD Tom Barry FG grabs Aine Collins TD FG during an ABORTION debate on camera in the Dáil whilst plastered. And it's all 'ah sure it's grand relax like' .

WilyCoyote wrote: »

Norris himself is no stranger to controversy and in 2011 had to pull out of the race for the Irish presidency after it emerged that he sought clemency from an Israeli court, on Seanad headed paper, for his former partner and pro-Palestinian activist Ezra Yitzhak Nawi on his conviction for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in 1997. (The Guardian)

Pulling rank. Seanad headed notepaper.

Full story:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/david-norris

He did not attempt to deny the conviction the sentence was the death penalty potentially. He was seeking clemency in terms of a life sentence.

And that link does not lead to that story.

He was seeking a prison sentence over the death penalty.

Boards posters love inferring things but not quite saying it. Trinity did not pay him sick pay, it was a private PHI insurance policy he held himself. The hearld and the mail had to Make corrections over that. He appealed for clemency in the statutory rape case, as Mitchell did for the murderers of the abortion doctor. I'm glad he's fighting the food critic, he's entitled to defend his good name

efb wrote: »

Boards posters love inferring things but not quite saying it. Trinity did not pay him sick pay, it was a private PHI insurance policy he held himself. The hearld and the mail had to Make corrections over that. He appealed for clemency in the statutory rape case, as Mitchell did for the murderers of the abortion doctor. I'm glad he's fighting the food critic, he's entitled to defend his good name

Exactly I am not saying is freaking perfect. But he IS a victim of slander a lot.

It seems to me that the some people deliberately get the facts stone cold wrong.

Lou.m wrote: »

No that is BS. Many people do care.

And it is constantly used to insinuate.

You're right, many people do care that he's gay, but more people don't, and the only person who uses their sexuality to insinuate anything, is David Norris to insinuate that he's being persecuted simply because he's gay. Being gay doesn't make him untouchable or above criticism.

And the whole pederasty comments thing is WHAT he is actually suing over he claims he never such such things apparently.

Lou what he's suing for is defamation claiming that the journalist attributed views to him which he never held. I don't believe for a minute David Norris is a pedophile, but when you're on record giving it welly about pederasty in ancient Greece to impress somebody with your knowledge and feed your own ego, it's probably very easy to forget you ARE talking to a journalist, and she's looking to make a name for herself. For a man so intelligent, you'd expect he'd engage the grey matter more often than his tongue, but with Norris such is not the case.

He does not use his sexuality he just does not hide it.

He DOES use his sexuality Lou, the only reason he put himself forward for the presidential race was because he figured the people of Ireland would be able to pat themselves on the back for electing a gay president.

It is heternormative bias that makes anyone being out seem like they are rubbing peoples faces in it.

I've already stated that Norris gives people plenty more reasons to dislike him other than the fact he's gay. No heteronormative bias here, but are you sure there's no homonormative bias going on with you?

He can be overly theatrical and bafoonish.

That's exactly it! 20 years ago I used admire the guy, when I was as young and naive as he still claims to be, I liked his theatrical flair, but then as I got older I realised "Ohh shìt! This guy is actually serious!".

But it appears that he was defamed and slandered during the presidential campaign (other candidates where too it was a very dirty campaign.)

It was the first real election for all of the candidates, except for one, and fortunately the only one who conducted himself with the same dignity and respect for public office he has always shown, won out in the end. Norris behaved like a child - "Look at me, I'm on tv!", so far out of his depth it made for embarrassing viewing. I felt sorry for the guy that nobody took him aside and said "No David, you can't behave like that!".

A week before he made the fanny comment during a vote on abortion an FG politician grabbed a woman in public and pulled her onto his lap IN THE DÁIL and nothing was done. Double standard??

The woman involved pleaded for leniency for her colleague. I'm sure David Norris would have done the same thing. Oh, he did! He did exactly the same thing in pleading for leniency for his ex lover, not as a private citizen though, but as a Senator representing the Irish State interfering in the judicial system of another country!

Read your history.

I read my history, and I'm well aware of his contribution to Irish society, but I appreciate the detailed history lesson which is more akin to the kind of post I expected from you rather than simply declaring your love for the man and then simply declaring he was treated unfairly. The fact is he's been living off that one victory for far too long. He undone all his good work in the meantime.

He says the word fanny. In a debate and the stupid woman Lorraine Higgins kicks up a fuss over nothing. And by the way she WAS talking out of her fanny.

Whether you think she was or she wasn't, the fact is his remarks were disgusting, and if he expects people to respect him, then he should give them the same respect. He was engaged in a debate to maintain the Senad, and in one fell swoop gave every reason why his personal playground should be abolished.

TD Tom Barry FG grabs Aine Collins TD FG during an ABORTION debate on camera in the Dáil whilst plastered. And it's all 'ah sure it's grand relax like' .

It's not really, and I said as much at the time too -

Dopes in the Dáil


We're talking about Senator David Norris right now though, and he has shown himself time and again to be unfit to hold public office. The fact that other politicians have shown themselves to be unfit for public office is no justification for Senator Norris to expect he should be granted immunity from criticism.

Jester252 wrote: »

Have to laugh at people giving out about Norris, their the first to defend Higgins. The one thing I find odd is that all this info was held by a food critic, it won't be the first time RTE have ran with a false story.

RTE put out two stories to ruin some of the top runners the week of the vote. They must have owed Higgins for not changing the way the TV licence was distributed.

Or maybe there wasn't any dirt on Higgins? He didn't even have to try to campaign with that competition; he just stood at the finish line and watched as the deluded dominoes fell over.

fundi wrote: »

Because he is a jumped up little parasite, a waste of oxygen , is Higgins. The only noteable thing he has done this past year is be the husband of the woman who visited some nutcase protestor ( some ould 'wan who walked on to the runway at Shannon airport or somethin' ) in prison.

That's just your (misinformed) opinion. I'm not asking for opinions on Higgins though, I'm specifically asking that poster why they find it so "funny" that people who are critical of Norris are approving of Higgins.

Jester252 wrote: »

Great to have friends in the media.

Oh so there's dirt on Higgins? Cool, give us the juice!

Muise... wrote: »

Perhaps his friends in the media were grateful that he got rid of Section 31, set up TG4 and breathed life into the Irish film industry - you know, actual good political achievements, unlike his opponents.

But he's small I tells ya! SMALL!!!

And something something about him being jumped up and a parasite - no explanation required of course...