Comments on: European speechcrime, cont’d http://overlawyered.com/2007/02/european-speechcrime-contd/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:26:11 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mike Perry http://overlawyered.com/2007/02/european-speechcrime-contd/comment-page-1/#comment-5801 Mike Perry Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:15:22 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/wpblog/?p=4503#comment-5801 Perhaps the countries in Eastern Europe who under suffered under Soviet repression should have fun with this highly selective and heavily politicized "speech crime" nonsense. They could create laws that echo, word for word, the German, French and Austrian laws about Nazism, but apply their laws to communism and Soviet crimes. The result: a leftist professor from the Sorborne would have to contemplate the possibility of a long prison sentence should he dare to vacation in the Czech Republic. In most cases, the proper response to dangerous lies about history isn't prosecution. That only creates martyrs and, for the conspiracy crazed, "proves" their claims. I know, I watched some Holocaust deniers on Seattle's dreadful open cable channel. For such people, the fact that mentioning certain points of view can get you prosecuted, "proves" that that view is true. Otherwise, why would so much effort be devoted to silencing them? It's like those CIA conspiracy tales about JFK's assassination with a unique twist. People who were at Dealey Plaza that day in 1963 really are getting killed for what they claimed to have seen. Perhaps the countries in Eastern Europe who under suffered under Soviet repression should have fun with this highly selective and heavily politicized “speech crime” nonsense.

They could create laws that echo, word for word, the German, French and Austrian laws about Nazism, but apply their laws to communism and Soviet crimes. The result: a leftist professor from the Sorborne would have to contemplate the possibility of a long prison sentence should he dare to vacation in the Czech Republic.

In most cases, the proper response to dangerous lies about history isn’t prosecution. That only creates martyrs and, for the conspiracy crazed, “proves” their claims.

I know, I watched some Holocaust deniers on Seattle’s dreadful open cable channel. For such people, the fact that mentioning certain points of view can get you prosecuted, “proves” that that view is true. Otherwise, why would so much effort be devoted to silencing them?

It’s like those CIA conspiracy tales about JFK’s assassination with a unique twist. People who were at Dealey Plaza that day in 1963 really are getting killed for what they claimed to have seen.

]]> By: David Wilson http://overlawyered.com/2007/02/european-speechcrime-contd/comment-page-1/#comment-5800 David Wilson Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:12:49 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/wpblog/?p=4503#comment-5800 It's high time the EU got serious here and began development of brain-wave readers to detect the improper thoughts of its citizens. Speech is too late. Human rights will languish in the meantime. It’s high time the EU got serious here and began development of brain-wave readers to detect the improper thoughts of its citizens. Speech is too late. Human rights will languish in the meantime.

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