BERLIN In the first case of its kind in Germany, a right-wing rock band was deemed a criminal organization and its lead singer was sentenced Monday to more than three years in prison for lyrics that venerate Nazism and incite racial hatred. A Berlin criminal court sentenced 38-year-old Michael Regener to 40 months in prison after a six-month trial that tested the boundaries of free expression in a nation with strict laws against hate speech. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-hate23dec23,0,7847339.st...
A Berlin criminal court sentenced 38-year-old Michael Regener to 40 months in prison after a six-month trial that tested the boundaries of free expression in a nation with strict laws against hate speech.
Of course, that should be "a nation with strict laws against free speech." Crying "Hate Speech" is the last resort of people who cannot debate what is being said and convince anyone. -- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 26-Dec-03, at 12:37 PM, Eric Cordian wrote:
A Berlin criminal court sentenced 38-year-old Michael Regener to 40 months in prison after a six-month trial that tested the boundaries of free expression in a nation with strict laws against hate speech.
Of course, that should be "a nation with strict laws against free speech."
Crying "Hate Speech" is the last resort of people who cannot debate what is being said and convince anyone.
Being from Germany I would like to detest that statement. The German law clearly defines what is hate speech. It is not an easy task as you can see in a six month trial. Certain symbols (e.g. Swastika) are forbidden as well. And I would like to add that most of these laws were made up by the allies (read US and Britain). There is no "ultimate" free speech as the US promises, but let's be serious here for a moment: The US is not as free as people like to think. Michael -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP 8.0.3 iQA/AwUBP+yRcmlCnxcrW2uuEQKDZACfc63XujDFQOJ+bcyGq1xtQc8l1yYAoNd1 vcmRWdOkxly/219fuaNHB/kL =lA06 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Michael writes:
Being from Germany I would like to detest that statement.
The German law clearly defines what is hate speech. It is not an easy task as you can see in a six month trial.
It is the outcome of the trial which condemns Germany. THe length of the trial is an unimportant data point. THe law clearly defines "hate speech" as the communication of any information which might tend to cause people to be displeased with a particular religious or ethnic group, whether or not the information is true. People in Germany have been jailed under the "hate speech" laws for simply suggesting in written editorials that the Jewish people might act collectively in their own enlightened self-interest. As long as truth is no defense against "hate speech," and "hate speech" includes things which clearly don't involve anyone hating anyone else, "hnate speech" is simply a code phrase for suppressing free expression.
Certain symbols (e.g. Swastika) are forbidden as well. And I would like to add that most of these laws were made up by the allies (read US and Britain).
Yes, the Allies have done an excellent job of redirecting German jackbooted obnoxiousness back at the German people. Do you have a point here?
There is no "ultimate" free speech as the US promises, but let's be serious here for a moment: The US is not as free as people like to think.
The US isn't free at all. However, most US citizens support freedom to have opinions and to express them. Germans have to ask their government for permission to think. Most Germans think this is a good thing, by the way. -- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"
participants (3)
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Eric Cordian -
Major Variola (ret.) -
Michael Kalus