Germany’s push for new hate-crime laws across Europe is creating fissures in the growing European Union.
Some former Soviet bloc nations want to include a provision that makes denial of Nazi and Communist war crimes equivalent.
But the measure, advanced by Estonia, Poland and Slovenia, has been criticized by a Slovakian minister who says it’s impossible to equate fascism and communism.
The E.U. Observer reports that Poles are also lobbying to ban the phrase “Polish death camps,” because, say advocates, such camps were built and operated by occupying Nazi forces.
Meanwhile, a prominent Polish politician has drawn charges of anti-semitism after claiming in a booklet that there are “biological differences” between Jews and gentiles, TheParliament.com reports.
The booklet was written by Polish E.U. minister Maciej Giertych, father of Poland’s deputy prime minister. Critics say E.U. funds were used to publish the book, and want the money returned.
Sources:
“E.U. anti-hate law sparks debate on Nazi and Soviet crimes”
EUObserver (Belgium), February 16, 2007
“E.U. parliament in row over antisemitic book”
TheParliament.com (Belgium), February 16, 2007
As a Polish woman, I support a law forbidding the use of “Polish concentration and/or death and/or extermination camps” terminology in the press, literature, TV, radio and any other mass media source.
Also, as a Polish woman, I am ashamed of Maciej Gietrych, his xenophobia and shallow mind.
Obviously anyone who is guilty of hate crimes or war crimes should be punished accordingly. But people have the right to say whatever they want. If someone is ignorant enough to be prejudice toward someone based on ones race of decent ect. and then doubly ignorant nough to voice that opinion they should be shamed by their peers and by the public as a whole. They should be told how and why they are wrong. But they should not be told to hold their tongue they should not be harmed and they should not be persecuted. Shamed for their ingnorance fine. Shunned for their prejudice I can understand. But most of all they should be taught informed and shown reason.
While I agree that some language is nothing BUT offensive, I also am mindful of the fact that “outlawing” words and/or terminology is what we should be more wary of. Where will it end?
Government has already shown its true colors by supressing our freedoms across the globe in their self-serving race for global enslavement of all peoples. If you look and listen closely, every day the headlines are riff with new “laws” that each of us are expected not only to know about but bow down to as well. Current estimates are that we now have over 36 MILLION laws….how many do you know?
The punishment is slavery in one of the thousands of prisons being built to house this new world work force. Think about it. How better to increase profits than by decreasing overhead? Of course, its not called enslavement. Its called “public protection” and we appreciate their oversight of these “criminals” don’t we?
Instead of supporting the passing of MORE laws, why don’t we put the time and effort in to teaching our children the one simple law that would obliviate the need for more laws….the one law of “Do Unto”. After all, it our children who will be the ones to “pay their debt to society” should they break one of the laws we allowed to be passed simply because we were too lazy to enforce decency in the first place.
Please be careful what you ask for…..
My mommy taught me to treat people the way I would like to be treated. I was also taught to respect my elders and to always say “please” and “thank you”. Aside from that, life goes on…