Speaking the Truth gets you jailed in France.

[KvHagedorn]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/809528.asp?pne=11947&0ct=-300

Has ANY government in Europe retained their testicles?

[thop]

what truth? hes just an idiot.

[KvHagedorn]

That's not the point. Western culture is under attack and Osama laughs as European governments side with the attackers against their own people and heritage. Stop this idiotic world, I wanna get off.

[efty]

He did not get jailed.

It is much better to be able to express your opinion than not. Here in the US most of the times I am hesitant to do so.

[Dogbert]

A big problem for humanity is destinguishing between words only and words that lead to action.

There are fine lines that change things quite dramaticly.
A rough example would be:

"Humanity is stupid and will perish" - Said nothing actually, all is fine.

"X is stupid and will perish" - That was a direct insult against X, X can sue me for this insult.

"X is stupid and should perish" - Problem: "X should perish" can be seen as a call to kill X.

About this case, U.S citizens could as easily press charges against Catholic / Muslim / etc. missionairs that try converting people. Why ? Cause part of the persuasion is showing why their faith is better. In most cases it'sdone by highlighting the 'faults' in your present faith. Just like this person is being charged for highlighting what he considers to be faults in the Koran.

[Gurm]

Yeah, but actually our speech in the USA is pretty much protected. People can bitch all they like, but if I write an editorial in USA Today saying that Muslims are all subhuman inbred mongoloids who should die a horrible death at the hands of transfendered ex-football players... the WORST that can happen is USA today can be sued, and then only in a civil court and they'll likely beat the rap.

- Gurm

[UtwigMU]

Gurm, um, what about autocensoring that was being talked about after 9/11th.

[thop]

perhaps you are ALLOWED to say what you want in the US but whats that good for when nobody DOES it?

[The PIT]

PC is now one of the worst things in the world.
It allows evil people to hide behind it, people are scared to tell the truth in fear of reprisals and possibly of losing your job, People are afraid to defend themselfs for the same reason. THis creates a feeling of unrest and distrust.
Places like Zambia are starving partialy due to the racists policies of their leader but no one will do anything about. I can remember on local racial equalties bloke in sheffield calling a doctor racist becuase he couldn't speak any other language but english.
The real losers are the poeple with genuine complaints. This is because no one ever knows whether to believe them or not. They daren't say or do anything to help as they will be called racist if they have to criticise a non white.

[Greebe]

Just because they may not say it you can bet your sweet bippy they sure do think it!

Besides I think what you said Thop is complete hockey puck... maybe not every soul on the planet does, but you can best be assured that the gross majority of people do speak their minds, publically or privately.

[TdB]

if understand correctly, the frenchman bashed the koran as a literary work, hows that racism?
I always thought that racism was when you harass other PEOPLE or groups of PEOPLE.

he criticizes a religion and/or a book, not muslims.

If you can´t criticize concepts and ideas, then what can you criticize?

[The PIT]

It's normally modern day loonies. I bet if he said the Bible sucks nothing would have been said.
I remember people ringing up on a radio show asking why extremist muslims were allowed to freely recruit in their neighbourhood yet if a BNP tried it he would be striaght of to jail. Both sets are evil and both belong in jail.
A friend of mine (Muslim) thought it was weak that Christians did not to get angry when young muslim thugs were attacking churches in Bradford. "You lot don't care about your religon very much do you" was his quote.
Evil people are evil whatever colour they are and you should be able to say it.

[Wombat]

I bet if he said the Bible sucks nothing would have been said

He did say that, essentially. The "all works of hate" bit. I'm surprised nobody's picking up on that.

[mutz]

Well I don't really know, but it seems to me that any religion, political system, what have you, stands on its own merits. Adherents who are secure within themselves, their understanding and beliefs aren't much bothered about what other people say or think.

On the other hand, those who are insecure within themselves, and their beliefs, who have an ego identification in some religion or system, they are the ones who make all the fuss, which others then get reluctantly or unwillingly drug into.

It appears that it doesn't really matter what is true or untrue, that's not what the fuss is about. It's just a good excuse to vent some violence, cash in on something or manipulate some attention or power.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Wombat
He did say that, essentially. The "all works of hate" bit. I'm surprised nobody's picking up on that.

Yup got me on that one. I'm going to burn the basterd now.
Only kidding.