60 years ago
... the concentration camp auschwitz was freed. as every year, candles are lighted, speeches held and the TV screen shows us serious faces. tv stations show "schindler's list". survivors of the mass-murder show their arms, and while the tint of the numbers has faded, the memory hasn't. for them, the horror is as real as it has been sixty years ago. jews, christians, muslims, homosexuals, lesbians, communists, socialist, christian-democrats, sinti, roma, the family next door - all slaughtered in a government-sanctioned mass murder.
it's not a coincidence that a LJ with antisemitic content caused an uproar around this date. one of you mailed me to ask: "why did you not protest against it in your LJ? you also ranted about the folks over at deleterius for using the swastica."
deleterius, its mod and the members are not nazis. they are a bunch of self-righteous ignorants, yes - but they are not nazis. the majority of them does not hate a specific race, religion or gender. probably with exception of the community owner, who seems to hate the whole world on principle, but... well.
the LJ in question, however, is owned by somebody who does hate a certain group of people. that's why I didn't link to it and don't do it, now. the hell I will help to spread these theories.
whenever a discussion like this flares up, there is one issue which comes up quicker than you can finish a LJ entry: "freedom of speech". in my opinion, one of the main missunderstandings between the usa and europe.
edited to add: this is about the reaction of LJ's abuse team on abuse reports about said LJ. LJ/six apart is an american company. the same LJ would be closed in germany, for example, as its content would be unlawful.
freedom of speech is a wonderful concept, and one that the american people are proud of with good right. however, freedom of speech has a tiny little flaw: it only works among people who are willing to stick to the rules.
was it admireable when the aclu demanded that neo nazis could hold a peaceful memory march in skokie? 'yes' because the aclu stick to their principles. 'no' because it's incredibly naive. the march might be peaceful. the intentions are not.
in the eastern part of germany, 9 % of the voters gave their vote to the neo nazis. in some cities, we talk about 25 %. not all of those voting this way are neo nazis. many simply tried to protest this way against the established parties and their politics. it still does scare me. it scares me that people are sitting in the government who officially deny that auschwitz ever happened. and they sit in the government because they were allowed to say almost everything they felt they had to.
freedom of speech? yes. but NOT for those who would remove this right from others if they had the chance to. freedom of speech works either both ways or not at all.
voltaire is often quoted as having said that
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
you might be interested to hear that he never wrote these words. what he wrote in his "essay on tolerance" was:
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."
voltaire, more than any other in his time, knew about the power of words.
thinking "I will kill you" is not a crime. saying it alound is a threat.
so, this is actually all I ask of you:
THINK FOR YOURSELVES.
don't let anybody else do it for you.
erestor
it's not a coincidence that a LJ with antisemitic content caused an uproar around this date. one of you mailed me to ask: "why did you not protest against it in your LJ? you also ranted about the folks over at deleterius for using the swastica."
deleterius, its mod and the members are not nazis. they are a bunch of self-righteous ignorants, yes - but they are not nazis. the majority of them does not hate a specific race, religion or gender. probably with exception of the community owner, who seems to hate the whole world on principle, but... well.
the LJ in question, however, is owned by somebody who does hate a certain group of people. that's why I didn't link to it and don't do it, now. the hell I will help to spread these theories.
whenever a discussion like this flares up, there is one issue which comes up quicker than you can finish a LJ entry: "freedom of speech". in my opinion, one of the main missunderstandings between the usa and europe.
edited to add: this is about the reaction of LJ's abuse team on abuse reports about said LJ. LJ/six apart is an american company. the same LJ would be closed in germany, for example, as its content would be unlawful.
freedom of speech is a wonderful concept, and one that the american people are proud of with good right. however, freedom of speech has a tiny little flaw: it only works among people who are willing to stick to the rules.
was it admireable when the aclu demanded that neo nazis could hold a peaceful memory march in skokie? 'yes' because the aclu stick to their principles. 'no' because it's incredibly naive. the march might be peaceful. the intentions are not.
in the eastern part of germany, 9 % of the voters gave their vote to the neo nazis. in some cities, we talk about 25 %. not all of those voting this way are neo nazis. many simply tried to protest this way against the established parties and their politics. it still does scare me. it scares me that people are sitting in the government who officially deny that auschwitz ever happened. and they sit in the government because they were allowed to say almost everything they felt they had to.
freedom of speech? yes. but NOT for those who would remove this right from others if they had the chance to. freedom of speech works either both ways or not at all.
voltaire is often quoted as having said that
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
you might be interested to hear that he never wrote these words. what he wrote in his "essay on tolerance" was:
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."
voltaire, more than any other in his time, knew about the power of words.
thinking "I will kill you" is not a crime. saying it alound is a threat.
so, this is actually all I ask of you:
THINK FOR YOURSELVES.
don't let anybody else do it for you.
erestor