{"id":11007,"date":"2026-02-20T00:25:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T05:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=11007"},"modified":"2026-02-20T00:27:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T05:27:16","slug":"11007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=11007","title":{"rendered":"They Sent Him to Prison for One Year &#8230; For Speech!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.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.sPeKMvTFrmqv2OYd2lfCDMJRhgyVIrVE8LYP1sieD00?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/app-link\/post?publication_id=2935874&amp;post_id=188480844&amp;utm_source=post-email-title&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=true&amp;r=1ed9cx&amp;token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo4NDU5OTQ1NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTg4NDgwODQ0LCJpYXQiOjE3NzE1MzUzMjIsImV4cCI6MTc3NDEyNzMyMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI5MzU4NzQiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.hZAFqYrpqeypC_9tX6lNtzm9PHe9nYhB6Q0ktv1IqCE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">They sent him to PRISON for 1 year&#8230;for speech!<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Once the state starts policing words, don\u2019t be surprised when it begins auditing your thoughts&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@senatorbabet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senator Babet<\/a> Feb 19<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/app-link\/post?publication_id=2935874&amp;post_id=188480844&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;isFreemail=true&amp;submitLike=true&amp;token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo4NDU5OTQ1NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTg4NDgwODQ0LCJyZWFjdGlvbiI6IuKdpCIsImlhdCI6MTc3MTUzNTMyMiwiZXhwIjoxNzc0MTI3MzIyLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMjkzNTg3NCIsInN1YiI6InJlYWN0aW9uIn0.zXpaYeexcmwcgHW5tAEoNvIWhWKl7bphDz6_pruCVtY&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-reaction&amp;r=1ed9cx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/app-link\/post?publication_id=2935874&amp;post_id=188480844&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;isFreemail=true&amp;comments=true&amp;token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo4NDU5OTQ1NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTg4NDgwODQ0LCJpYXQiOjE3NzE1MzUzMjIsImV4cCI6MTc3NDEyNzMyMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI5MzU4NzQiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.hZAFqYrpqeypC_9tX6lNtzm9PHe9nYhB6Q0ktv1IqCE&amp;r=1ed9cx&amp;utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&amp;action=post-comment&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/app-link\/post?publication_id=2935874&amp;post_id=188480844&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;utm_campaign=email-share&amp;action=share&amp;triggerShare=true&amp;isFreemail=true&amp;r=1ed9cx&amp;token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo4NDU5OTQ1NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTg4NDgwODQ0LCJpYXQiOjE3NzE1MzUzMjIsImV4cCI6MTc3NDEyNzMyMiwiaXNzIjoicHViLTI5MzU4NzQiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.hZAFqYrpqeypC_9tX6lNtzm9PHe9nYhB6Q0ktv1IqCE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.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.Oh1pcCNGg1CcP4TOtlI-1MoQfGoCB3PP-YeV8e2bvM0?&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/senatorbabet\/p\/they-sent-him-to-prison-for-1-yearfor?utm_source=email&amp;redirect=app-store&amp;utm_campaign=email-read-in-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">READ IN APP<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>My thoughts in 5 dot points:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The Danger of Overreach &#8211; His jail sentence signals a shift from policing actions to auditing thoughts and words.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selective Enforcement &#8211; Why one man is jailed while politicians and other activists using similar rhetoric remain free.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subjectivity as a Weapon &#8211; \u201cHate speech\u201d is defined by shifting \u201cvibes\u201d rather than clear laws, making it easy to weaponise against any dissenting opinion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Criticism Over Incarceration &#8211; In a free society, \u201cugly\u201d or \u201cmoronic\u201d speech should be met with public debate, not a prison cell.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/7b3fd5b1-b619-49be-9d69-696e0e2d2a5d?j=eyJ1IjoiMWVkOWN4In0.q1zzzMAP7Fg4Mej1gZR1HH0ahTZIE9xnLIJf04lJcuE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NYN6E52HLS_WmKus3_p0Fhee-tG50xPKgbaa9sVDzsfmmNp0jTCTZDPIy0nE9W6S-tUmAQrRMwUYT_LXWGuxUOCazXPdT_WCXVffpe2ywDt43uWynjx_mSy5d6MURryg4h94pn4jwoZZwbO1gpVKWzZ5eJ5YpN8SMQVBNBpVD028TvjLIA6uOtOzBJSc3vlJyGbl9tCMD5HQ4AQOL67PcLPEQDRLoNeziRhKzCrg85nwarsiPlAztw3I6ka1ZzDGCg1LHcSsGx9IQGZrNCGdtIfhZtA8toeU9yggSgZaUbwBSzpUm7-25sQDhQf1XSlgFDyrDePJw=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KgeD!,w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F651636ac-771d-4ba5-8e19-0a55a6c83950_1536x1024.heic\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><br><\/td><td><\/td><td><br><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The jailing of Brandan Koschel for mouthing off in a 40 second speech at a rally is being hailed as a triumph of virtue. In reality, it\u2019s Exhibit A in the case for scrapping hate speech laws altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for reading Let&#8217;s Talk About It! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/2\/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNlbmF0b3JiYWJldC5jb20uYXUvYWNjb3VudCIsInAiOjE4ODQ4MDg0NCwicyI6MjkzNTg3NCwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6ODQ1OTk0NTcsImlhdCI6MTc3MTUzNTMyMiwiZXhwIjoyMDg3MTExMzIyLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.8JZ_wnIchPhIITEzJUIPSpTPBfWxtxmKxC5gLYT_6Wc?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Subscribed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because once the state starts policing words don\u2019t be surprised when it begins auditing your thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brandan has been sentenced to a year in prison for declaring to a Sydney crowd that Jews are \u201cthe greatest enemy.\u201d It was ugly, the sort of thing usually confined to the darker corners of the internet. Was it distasteful? Sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Should it be illegal? That\u2019s a far more dangerous question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/9c50092e-4b51-43c8-b5ca-dd2b47dd8956?j=eyJ1IjoiMWVkOWN4In0.q1zzzMAP7Fg4Mej1gZR1HH0ahTZIE9xnLIJf04lJcuE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NatYvYJISQaUMOmZt8ioaldakDu6OeGXhAK-SvT1pdyVG5ltf-fGdeOwecXnaNMosI-jF32rp4nlFVMV_XvBQuvHaWI2KCSH3oMr7E8Svi_UqROstIeHHuUiAlppaeW1kySn20juanquSHcxvyW60Bx3_CPbME5jZuKc2P9iEale9IeLzjdvQivuF6d_undPh3qawuQqcXC4aS_5bdn9lBkWvF1TkjQ2MsWS2hOrZJG6PDEVGWSsPbUb6xs4yqdQ7TwYBIAwV53h73ctrkrdrCVY0g9U4TuqEsGDoLTyrRRf4_Z0wpjQJOvzx2XXwbOvXX4-PGf=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!qZhq!,w_391,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60f88615-275c-4546-9ff8-e25df8b9d202_1320x1614.heic\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><br><\/td><td><\/td><td><br><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If Brandan goes to jail for declaring Jews the enemy, then consistency demands we start measuring everyone else\u2019s rhetorical excesses with the same ruler. Does Pauline Hanson get a cell for suggesting there are no good Muslims? Do I start packing a toothbrush for suggesting Islam has ideological problems? Should half of social media be marched off in cuffs before lunchtime?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You cannot empower the state to jail people for \u201chate\u201d and then act shocked when the definition of hate turns out to be elastic, political, and exquisitely selective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here is the line that matters, in a free society people must be allowed to speak, even crudely, even offensively, so long as they are not calling for direct violence. The moment speech becomes a criminal offence simply because it is unpleasant or unpopular, freedom becomes a privilege granted by government rather than a right possessed by citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hate speech law isn\u2019t a scalpel it\u2019s a vibe. What counts as \u201charm\u201d? Who decides? Today it\u2019s an individual shouting nonsense into a microphone, tomorrow it\u2019s someone questioning gender ideology or climate science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And what about Grace Tame leading chants of \u201cFrom Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/f5d92ed8-c12a-4e34-85b2-5c8400ed958d?j=eyJ1IjoiMWVkOWN4In0.q1zzzMAP7Fg4Mej1gZR1HH0ahTZIE9xnLIJf04lJcuE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NZUjGU4YDEKIhc2a8ti5XHCgzjt1-1jR9YGSM-g2PVdpdFdpc5R5h5yoayT4ZZcfFt3BvLJ6XSWEtpNt7CgdgC5S-KSMUgG7cjba8ZX6CIdYKdXL-vm31l0N36gqo39CrwwCilXwlsDWoiczr-2PAAbqHujCvrb6pSWXWOraP8gjazoT6WdPPRGzPeKM1UdkWdwaa2TWPPJdc31nK7NhTOUA-ZpXnlielg9u7c9hx9YfjYb7mZO4HUVFccOPBcZF6eiDt6XttE95VxNIEwRTb92PcXpwe541VuBanAxAI-0cyGrygiDgANDzhrxOfqubBo5bjUs=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!Hr4O!,w_417,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3d24d32-7254-4a75-af8b-20f5a9abbba7_1320x1330.heic\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><br><\/td><td><\/td><td><br><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Or Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi declaring, \u201cFrom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why are they free to walk around while Brandan is not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t a defence of Brandan he sounds like a fool. But in a free society fools are not sent to prison. We should let foolish people say foolish things, and then criticise them mercilessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The real danger isn\u2019t that a moron said something moronic, it\u2019s that the state now claims the authority to decide which morons are permissible and which are prosecutable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you hand the government power to criminalise speech, don\u2019t be surprised when the category of \u201ccriminal speech\u201d expands with remarkable creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Democracy requires free speech, especially the kind that makes you uncomfortable. If you won\u2019t defend that principle now, don\u2019t be shocked when the law turns on you later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These hate speech laws must all be repealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Senator Ralph Babet, Senator for Victoria, United Australia Party.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edit: It has also been brought to my attention that a pedophile in Melbourne who was in possession of videos of children as young as 10 being violently raped was given a 3 months prison sentence. Make it make sense. You can\u2019t. Read that article here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-15571813\/Outrage-weak-sentence-school-principal-paedophile-sick-messages-exposed.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-15571813\/Outrage-weak-sentence-school-principal-paedophile-sick-messages-exposed.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>They sent him to PRISON for 1 year&#8230;for speech! Once the state starts policing words, don\u2019t be surprised when it begins auditing your thoughts&#8230; Senator Babet Feb 19 &nbsp; READ IN APP &nbsp; My thoughts in 5 dot points: The &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=11007\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6223,6219,6224,6222,6225],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11007"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11007"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11010,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11007\/revisions\/11010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}