Certainly Scottish law enforcement officers have more to do with their time than censor free speech, but that’s the task they currently face. Since the enactment of the country’s draconian new law, officials fielded roughly 8,000 complaints from citizens snitching on their neighbors.

Anything is apparently fair game for those who choose to be easily offended. It may be an offhand comment or a public theatrical performance, but many Scots are reporting these so-called “hate crimes.”

It is now against the law in liberal Scotland to “stir up hatred.” Whatever that means.

The new law took effect on April Fools Day.

Liberal proponents of stifling free speech incredibly blame conservatives from clogging the system. The far-left Guardian, for example, took aim at “neo-Nazis and far-right agitators” for supposedly flooding authorities with false reports of infractions.

It is now a punishable offense to “behave in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner, or communicate threatening, abusive or insulting material to another purpose” if it could “stir up hatred.” 

FREE SPEECH: "With lack of clarity, the government gets to decide what speech is legal and what speech isn't" @LoisMcLatch

Conviction under Scotland's new hate crime law could lead to a fine or prison time

We must have the freedom to discuss and challenge@andrewdoyle_com pic.twitter.com/nq0b9SJVCT

— Together (@Togetherdec) April 10, 2024

Fox News Digital reported that House of Lords member Baroness Claire Fox observed that “thousands and thousands of complaints have flooded in.”

The free speech advocate opined that “you can be sure that some of [the calls] are almost trolling, right?”

Many callers reported Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s infamous 2020 speech in which he whined about having too many White people in powerful positions. In Scotland.

Others complained about Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who is under a constant barrage of left-wing criticism for her defense of women against men who pretend to be women. She is a frequent target for gender extremists pushing for men to be allowed into women’s spaces.

Fox expressed the concern of many in law enforcement who felt the “hate speech” law was far too broad. They worried officials would face a deluge of reports.

She noted that Scottish police recently indicated they would not investigate low-level crimes due to a lack of resources. Fox added that authorities pledged to investigate every single “hate crime” report and keep it on file — even if no prosecution results.