Friday, February 01, 2008

Freedom of Expression - especially when it hurts

I just saw an article from the JTA in which a book that is reputedly rabidly anti-religion would be banned with the blessing of the Jewish Council:

Stephan Kramer, secretary general of the Central Council of Jews in
Germany, said he thought the book was equally mean to all three faiths. "It is
simply anti-religious… and militantly atheistic," he said in a statement. "What
is perfidious and dangerous is that it uses very attractive graphics to appeal
to young children, who are not able to respond to such anti-religious
baiting."


This is an issue to be handled in Germany, by Germans, but it illustrates once again that Freedom of Expression is easy when nothing particularly hurtful is said. It really counts when you find the content and/or form of the message repugnant. Banning books, no matter how mean-spirited, is worse than the reputed harm that the book may cause.

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