Holocaust Denier to be Prosecuted in France

The French foreign minister said today that holocaust denier Robert Faurisson will likely be prosecuted for comments he made during the recent conference of Jew-haters in Teheran.

To deny that the mass murder of Jews occured during WWII is stupid and despicable. There are many eyewitnesses still alive today, including concentration camp survivors, nazi guards, and allied troops who overran the camps during the defeat of Germany. That being said, to prosecute someone for denying the proven facts is not a good idea. It only adds fuel to their fire.

There are certainly valid limitations to freedom of speech and the press. Slander and libel should not be protected. Yelling "fire" in a crowded theater that results in bodily injury should not be protected. A government employee or journalist who leaks classified information should not be protected. But there is no justifiable reason to prosecute someone just because he hurts someone else's feelings.

I hope that the USA never does what the French are doing in limiting free speech. People have a right to their opinion even if it is completely stupid. Think about the idiots who claim that the US government was behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Or think about Bill Clinton and other Democrats who claimed that the Republicans in Congress were trying to cut spending on Medicare even though they were actually increasing it. It is very tempting to try to put a muzzle on such stupidity, but free speech is too important to restrict.