Dutch politician on trial for hate speech

[Black]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101004/ap_o...ate_speech

[cbelt3]

European definition of free speech and hate speech vary widely, and are significantly different from those in the US. Good luck to him.

(waves hand) This article is irrelevant to our nation's laws. Move along..

[OWC Jamie]

the world can always use a little more hate.
he'd get more love if he came here to embrace teabagger ideology

[Black]

cbelt3 wrote:
European definition of free speech and hate speech vary widely, and are significantly different from those in the US. Good luck to him.

(waves hand) This article is irrelevant to our nation's laws. Move along..

Why is this only of interest as it relates to "our" nation's laws?
And who is "our"-- is this forum only intended for US users?

[cbelt3]

Bl- Yes, you have a point.

So here:
You'll note that under the Dutch laws, this 'freedom' is very fungible, and is controlled by rather significant opposing rules and laws. Essentially: "Speech is free unless we say it isn't."

"The Netherlands

Article 7 of the Dutch Grondwet in its first paragraph grants everybody the right to make public ideas and feelings by printing them without prior censorship, but not exonerating the author from his liabilities under the law. The second paragraph says that radio and television will be regulated by law but that there will be no prior censorship dealing with the content of broadcasts. The third paragraph grants a similar freedom of speech as in the first for other means of making ideas and feelings public but allowing censorship for reasons of decency when the public that has access may be younger than sixteen years of age. The fourth and last paragraph exempts commercial advertising from the freedoms granted in the first three paragraphs.[20]

The penal code has laws however sanctioning certain types of expression. Such laws and freedom of speech are at the centre of a public debate in The Netherlands after the arrest on 16 May 2008 of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. Jurisprudence from the 60's prohibits prosecution of blasphemy. Parliament has recently expressed its wish to abolish the law penalizing blasphemy. The current Christian Democrat Justice Minister would however prefer to renew it and expand it to include non-religious philosophies of life, thus making it possible to anticipate and prevent international outcry similar to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. Laws that punish discriminatory speech also exist and are being used against Gregorius Nekschot. Laws on lèse majesté exist and are occasionally used to prosecute."

[Black]

cbelt3 wrote:
Bl- Yes, you have a point.

So here:
You'll note that under the Dutch laws, this 'freedom' is very fungible, and is controlled by rather significant opposing rules and laws. Essentially: "Speech is free unless we say it isn't."

"The Netherlands

Article 7 of the Dutch Grondwet in its first paragraph grants everybody the right to make public ideas and feelings by printing them without prior censorship, but not exonerating the author from his liabilities under the law. The second paragraph says that radio and television will be regulated by law but that there will be no prior censorship dealing with the content of broadcasts. The third paragraph grants a similar freedom of speech as in the first for other means of making ideas and feelings public but allowing censorship for reasons of decency when the public that has access may be younger than sixteen years of age. The fourth and last paragraph exempts commercial advertising from the freedoms granted in the first three paragraphs.[20]

The penal code has laws however sanctioning certain types of expression. Such laws and freedom of speech are at the centre of a public debate in The Netherlands after the arrest on 16 May 2008 of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. Jurisprudence from the 60's prohibits prosecution of blasphemy. Parliament has recently expressed its wish to abolish the law penalizing blasphemy. The current Christian Democrat Justice Minister would however prefer to renew it and expand it to include non-religious philosophies of life, thus making it possible to anticipate and prevent international outcry similar to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. Laws that punish discriminatory speech also exist and are being used against Gregorius Nekschot. Laws on lèse majesté exist and are occasionally used to prosecute."

Thanks. Maybe someone will key in on this angle.
I was mostly intrigued by the surprising assertion that this guy is very popular in Holland. I would not have expected it . . .