The Voice of Reason, you have lived up to your name perfectly.

Freedom of speech is one of our most fundamental rights and it is what makes this country great. The right to say what you want without retribution from the government. This right however does not guarantee against retribution from the people. You can say what you feel, but I don't have to like it, agree with it, or even allow you to perform at a private concert.

Although I support some reggae (where would we be be without Bob Marley ;)) and dancehall, let us not forget that this man called for the execution of all homosexuals in many of his songs and with a most egregious tone. Let us also not forget that even though it is Beenie Man's right to say whatever he wants, it is also the right of the organizers of this concert to not subject it's patrons to the music of a hateful man.

It would be interesting to see how those of you who support this guy would feel if he was as explicitly Gay and denounced hetrosexuals. I am sure there would also be something to complain about.

This is a sad day for New Zealand. :( Musicians say some retarded things sometimes, but it's all about the music. :( This was a chance for New Zealanders to see what has happened to the traditional dancehall style and we are too politically correct to just let people be.

As someone with a lot of gay people close to me in my life but not being gay, I can see the 2 sides to this. There needs to be a debate on what free speech actually is as very few seem to understand. Free speech, means exactly as it says, the right to state your own opinions or to form words into coherent sentences as you please. Guess what you have the right to reply! They are only words and they only have the power we invest them with. Alas the PC police are hell-bent on investing anything they dont agree with, with that power. By overly dramatising the level of offence and often being offended on behalf of some other group, than themsleves, usually a disenfranchised group for whom they can be a worthy champion and more importanly be seen to be. I want to hear different opinions, even the dangerous, unsound, illogical ones, I want to be able to discuss openly issues like this, not hide it all under some mat, whilst pretending that racism, homophobia and all manner of other prejudices don't exist, in our 'civillised' society. It is unnopposed actions, not words that have done the most harm in our world. Obviously for many rather than deal with these prejudices that have a really deep origin in human nature, lets just ban them and pretend they aren't there. Are we willing to stand up and say what you think so honestly in public, not on some comments page? Beenie Man said what he thought, he has since said it was misconstrued, been villified, apologised and taken significant steps to support positivity in Jamaican music - so what now? Ban him from NZ, a country that only less than 30 yrs ago made homosexuality legal and even then, 80% of the country didn't agree with it. Why not deal with our own backyard of prejudice, race-hate and homophobia first before taking recalcitrant Jamaican musicians to task and pushing the world ever closer towards full blown censorship. And the left-wingers accuse, right-wingers of censorship???

Typical gays... all they do is complain complain and complain... i thought all this complaining would stop once they one the civil rights bill? But no..., it just continues and continues... are your gay partners not pleasing you?

To all you you anti-free speech types; people like you are the reason that we can't publish cartoons of Mohammed for fear of upsetting Muslims.

If you can substantiate any link between what Beenie Man (a guy who has since RENOUNCED his anti-gay lyrics - aren't people even allowed to make mistakes??) sings about on stage, and violence against homosexuals in New Zealand, then I'd agree you have a point.

As it stands, it's one man, one point of view. Free speech should allow for hate speech. I hate all organised religion - should I be barred from speaking my mind about how wonderful a world free of religion would be just because some of you would deem it 'hateful'?

This guy sux. Sad how there is a whole scene relating to this guys issues with gay people. I was shocked when I found out a few years back that fundamentalist Rastafarian's are extremely homophobic (which i am just assuming that this guys is). I can never look at the cool big red green and yellow beanies the same way again..

Thank goodness for some sense. and all you "freedom of speech" types, get real! If some idiot was advocating people killing you, Im sure you'd be less keen on his right to speak freely. How many of you who object to BDO getting rid of this idiot were ever so affronted by Hone Harawera's ugly rant? And HH wasnt even advocating violence or murder! Grow up, freedom of expression has limitations, always has had. We are not free to incite violence against others and thats great IMO.

Goodness, are there people around who would pay to watch this trailer trash? What is people problem with homosexuals? I would wish that this "Beenie Mans" son would be born homosexual to teach him some sense, but it would be too unfair on his son to have such a hateful father.