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February 21, 2006

I Agree

Kresbach, however, said people "should have a right to be wrong."
While I can sympathise with Austria and Germany's desires to break the chains of hate that bind them to their Nazi past, a trial is wrong. Going to jail for being ignorant and hateful is wrong.
The verdict was welcomed by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which also highlighted the issue of freedom of speech.

"While Irving's rants would not have led to legal action in the United States, it is important that we recognize and respect Austria's commitment to fighting Holocaust denial, the most odious form of hatred, as part of its historic responsibility to its Nazi past," the center's associate dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, said in a statement.


It said this numbnuts was the "author of nearly 30 books" ~ so? How many did he actually sell? How many more when his layer of lunatic obscurity was stripped off by this trial, giving him an international forum ~ pulling happy little haters out of the woodwork who'd never even heard of him before? It said he was getting "300 pieces of fanmail" a week from "all over the world." I'd lay money he didn't get one letter a month before they made him a martyr. Even the Wiesenthal Center spokesman calls them "rants". Like Fred Phelps' evil minions, these kinda weasels get theirs ~ if not on this plane, in the next. We don't have to give of any of our rights for that to happen. And there's real danger in picking and choosing which group gets to be defended with punitive measures when they're offended and who doesn't. I wouldn't be surprised if Muslims point to this trial when shrieking about those stoopid cartoons and I think the Simon Wiesenthal Center screwed up ~ this guy wasn't an Auschwitz gate guard or an SS member. They need to save their credibility for the bigger battles.

Posted by tree hugging sister at February 21, 2006 10:43 AM

Comments

I agree, ths. I also appreciate German and Austrian hypersensitivity to Holocaust denial but jailing people who hold and espouse that idiotic view is wrong. He's in it for the attention. I think it best to ignore him. He's not worth anyone's time.

Posted by: Rob at February 21, 2006 01:28 PM

I agree with Rob. In an open battle of ideas, the truth always wins. If Irving wants to make an ugly fool out of himself, let him. It's the best thing possible for the advancement of truth.

Posted by: NJ Sue at February 21, 2006 06:27 PM