Wednesday, January 10, 2007

German America-haters Crumble Under Blog Pressure

I mentioned on 6th. that the site of a major German magazine headlines America as a nation that could not care less about other people. After the sacrifices of blood and treasure America made in two world wars, that was a grievous misrepresention of the truth -- particularly coming from a nation that showed rather vividly in the middle of last century just how much THEY cared about others.

All the blogospheric condemnation has had an effect, however. The hate-America speech has now been removed.

The narrow definition of hate-speech is its major problem. Only certain selected, privileged groups are usually seen as protected by the definition of it. If hate-speech prohibitions were widened to condemn hate speech against America or hate-speech against Christians, the prohibitions would soon lose all support. In the meanwhile we can only do our best to press for the same rules to be applied to all.

To misquote Shakespeare slightly: ""Hath not an American eyes? Hath not an American hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases. Heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer as a German is?"

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