Free Speech is the Heart of Democracy
It's hard to believe that in the year, 2006, that a well-known
historian and author, David Irving, could be sent to jail for 3 years
by the Austrian government, for questioning the 6 million figure of the
Jewish Holocaust. Furthermore, he made the statement in 1989 while
giving a speech in that country.
The sentence is an outrage. Punishing someone for expressing his
opinion about a historical event is a step backwards to the justice
system of the Middle Ages.
The sentence is not only fiercely undemocratic, but is blatantly
hypocritical. Cartoonists and writers mock and insult the sensibilities
of Muslims and Christians with the blessing of country leaders. Our own
prime minister, Stephen Harper used the 'free speech' defense for
publishers of cartoons that were insulting to Muslims.
However, the moment that anyone criticizes the Jewish official story of
WW2, free speech is ignored and the 'hate crimes' legislation is
trotted out. Any questions about the accuracy of the Holocaust
reporting are considered to be a defamation of the Jewish dead.
Currently in Canada, there are several people who have been accused of
'hate crimes,' one of whom is Ernst Zundel, a landed Canadian
immigrant who has never been convicted of a crime in this country. Yet
our government took the cowardly way out, and instead of releasing
Zundel, deported him to his native Germany, where he is being tried in
the same manner as David Irving. In Germany it is a crime to deny the
holocaust or question any of the historic details.
The conviction of Irving is a chilling wake-up call that 'hate
crimes' legislation is not going away.
After WW2, it was the forces of the Anti Defamation League and B'nai
B'rith in Germany and Austria that changed government legislation to
make it a crime to deny 'holocaust reality.'
However, holocaust denial laws violate ancient and universal standards
of justice. The principle of free speech means that everyone has the
right to express alternative viewpoints, particularly about history. It
means listening to views that may be distasteful but that is the legacy
of 'free speech.'
'Holocaust denial' laws are inherently unjust because they are
selective and one sided. They prohibit dissent about only one chapter
of history. Laws criminalizing dissent about other chapters of history,
such as the treatment of the North American Indian or the Irish in the
19th century, would be considered outrageous.
I agree with Voltaire (1906) when he said:
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the
death your right to say it"
I think we need to revisit the so-called 'hate laws' in this
country, since it is apparent that they lead to selective prosecutions
based on the whims of those who wield power. We already have lots of
laws on the books to deal with criminals.
In '1984,' George Orwell warned that society would eventually
punish 'thought crimes' in a totalitarian state. The David Irving
case has been a flashpoint that should make us all stop and think about
where 'democracy' is headed.
(citeret efter canadafirst.net)
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