Re: Can this Austrian law be democratically repealed?

In article <49SdnSwNHvnh5o7Z4p2dnA@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Mike"
<m.groves@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Here's some more grist for the free speech mill, this time from David
Irving's own UK. Enjoy!

Source: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/da265bf2-b024-11da-a142-0000779e2340.html


Looks like the UK is picking up some more of America's bad habits, such as
declaring war.

I would prefer to interpret it as another example of my point that every
society has its sensitive issues that laws constraining free speech
protect.

Considering what the BBC allows in its non-commercial
programming (The Office comes to mind and of course Ali G which the article
references), this is ridiculous. I'd always thought "bloody" was one of
those nationally accepted barely-offensive words; the only American
equivalent I can think of is "damned".

In the UK it has traditionally been more offensive. The use of "bloody"
(which has nothing to do with 'blood', but is a corruption of the oathg
'[I swear] by Our Lady [= the Virgin Mary]') in George Bernard Shaw's
*Pygmalion* in 1913 generated a major scandal.

Of course, an advertiser in America
wouldn't want to use "damned" in their commercial, not because of government
censure but more the risk of offending potential customers ($$$).

That might hold for "damn", but not for "***" or "***", each occurrence
of which on a prime-broadcast will mean a $32,500 fine from the FCC.

Here is an example of the kind of free speech that upsets official America
today:

Source: http://www.amirsulaiman.com/cointelpro.html

<quote>
The High Cost of Freedom of Speech

Date:  October 17th, 2004

My name is Amir Sulaiman; I am Muslim of African decent born in America. 
I am a 26 year old, poet, writer, teacher, husband and father.  I taped as
a featured poet on HBO Def Poetry Jam in February of 2004.  On August 8th
through August 14th, HBO aired my poem, ³Danger².  Within six days of my
performance airing, four FBI agents came to my mother-in-law's home in San
Francisco.  Although I have lived in Atlanta, GA since 2001 and was only
visiting my in-laws in California, these agents came looking for me
there.  They asked for me but my brother-in-law informed them that I was
not there at the moment. They waited hours for my return.  As they were
waiting, they questioned my brother-in-law about my background and asked
about my ³anti-American² poetry.

When I arrived, I told the agents I didn't want to talk to them without
legal representation.  Since then, they have called me on my cell phone. 
They have gone to the high school at which I taught and questioned the
principal about me.  Later they issued a grand jury subpoena for the
names, addresses, phone numbers of all my students, the classes I taught,
and my personal file.  In addition, I learned at Atlanta¹s Hartsfiled
International Airport¹s ticket counter that my name has been added to the
FBI¹s ³no-fly² list.  The agents did not return my lawyers phone calls for
nearly two months but continued to question my friends and associates.

This experience made me wonder, what is freedom of speech?  The reality is
that speech has never been free.  There have been many poets, writers, and
speakers who blazed the trail upon which I walk whose free speech cost
them their livelihood, their families and in some cases even their lives. 
Whether they were inspiring the powerless or chastising the powerful,
people like Amiri Baraka, Soujourner Truth and Peter Tosh paid the cost
for this ³free² speech we talk about.

In a new world, wrought nearly insane with paranoia, I, simply by being
Muslim, have become a threat.  In an old world, still stuck in the muck of
racism, I, as a young Black man, am still a threat.  This fear is further
compounded by my refusal to remain silent in the face of such blatant
hypocrisy, thievery, and tyranny.  As a Muslim, as a man, as a member of
the Human Family, I must speak the Truth with the loudest, most effective
voice I can muster, especially when the virtue of justice has been so
casually ignored.  It is my sacred obligation. 

Islam, my way of life, does not allow me to remain still and quiet while a
war is being waged not only against Islam and Muslims, but against the
Human Family and Life itself.  As the hadith of prophet Muhammad (pbuh&f)
states, ³Whoever among you sees wrongdoing should change it with his hand.
If he is unable, then with his speech. If he is unable, then with his
heart, and that is the weakest level of faith.²

I was born and raised in America.  My mother and father were born and
raised in America and their parents were born and raised in America.  I
consider America my country.  This is beyond the sentiments of patriotism
or pride.  It is a matter of fact.  My people have deep roots and a long
history in this land.  They have invested their blood in the soil of the
South, in the factories of the North and the frontiers of the West.  Upon
the backs of my foreparents, this nation was built.  My family¹s history
in this country precedes the White House, the Pentagon even the
Constitution.  America is my country.

Although I do not agree with the policies of the leaders of this nation,
their fate and my fate are irresistibly tied together.  The decisions of
our leaders affect my three little daughters, my parents, my home. This is
what impassions my voice and intensifies my warning.

When I present poetry, it is not that I am speaking as Amir Sulaiman. 
Many people recognize my voice as their own.  I have traveled the country
presenting my poetry before audiences of many different racial, ethnic,
religious, economic, and political backgrounds.  They have encouraged me. 
They have implored me, even commanded me to continue using my poetry to
broadcast their voices in ways and in places that they cannot.  The people
have found their sentiments in my heart and their voice in my words.  This
is a great blessing and an equally great responsibility.  I must warn for
fear that we, the people, be assigned to the same fate as our leaders who
have created enemies then created wars in order to create revenue.

The artist is to be a warner for society at large. Often the artist is
like Cassandra, the character is Greek mythology who was blessed with the
ability to see the future but cursed with the promise that no one would
ever believe her.  Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) were all warners.  All of them had loved ones in
a society being led down a road towards destruction.  All of them also had
enemies trying to extinguish their message.  Many governments and empires
have made the error of silencing the warner.  To silence the warner, in a
strategy to prevent what is being warned against, is to unplug the fire
alarm hoping that will prevent the house from burning down. 

With the methods of COINTELPRO and McCarthyism, the vicious are only
kindling a fire about their ankles. In fact, their habit of repression
only fuels the brewing discontent and adds fire to the flames.  They are
dousing the fire with gasoline wondering why the flames only grow more
intense and the hatred grows more severe.  Both History and prophecy
promise a day of awful reckoning for a society that has grown repressive,
gluttonous and tyrannical.

My poetry is a sacred obligation that does not require the approval of the
FBI or any other government department or agency.  I will not ask for my
right to speak, as that right has been given to me by the Most High.  I
only ask for more voices to come forward in the name of justice for the
sake of all of us and our families.  In truth, coming forward in the name
of justice is a sacred obligation upon us all.  We must give hope to the
hopeless souls, warning to the obstinate tyrants and try to contribute to
a more livable life for the Human Family.

Amir Sulaiman
</quote>

Regards,
Eugene Holman
.

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