The End of Freedom
No matter how repugnant racism, sexism, religious bigotry, etc might be, there is no justification for criminalizing private expressions of hatred that are not threats. When a society starts criminalizing speech, writing, and thoughts that offend, no one’s expression is safe. The EU has now crossed that line:
The new deal specifies one- to three-year prison terms be available for incitement to violence or hatred “against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin”.
The text also notes that “member states may choose to punish only conduct which is either carried out in a manner likely to disturb public order or which is threatening, abusive or insulting.”
So if your expression insults some one, you can go to jail for up to three years. Yeah that’s European “freedom”. Fortunately there are some sane people (in Britain):
“Attempts to harmonise EU laws on hate crimes are both illiberal and nonsensical,” European Liberal Democrat Leader Graham Watson said in a statement summing up the British opposition.
“The proposed list risks opening the floodgates on a plethora of historical controversies — like the crimes of the Stalinist regime or the alleged Armenian genocide — whose inclusion could pose a grave threat to freedom of speech. The EU has no business legislating on history,” he added.
Weep for the future. (via LGF)