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February 23, 2006
Looking on the bright side of life
What do you do if you're supposed to be a daily blogger but you're just burned out on opinions? I don't know whether I'm more sick to death of my own opinions or the opinions of other people, but I'm sure as hell sick of opinions, and it isn't easy saying so. Why? Because it sounds negative. And we're not supposed to be negative, are we? So what am I supposed to do? Maybe read another idiotic pronouncement (by some horse's ass who knows God personally) about some stupid movie I didn't like in the first place and then write another post trying to politely point out the illogic in that opinion? Get into an argument with someone who advances opinions as tactics? (There's no winning an argument with someone whose mind is made up and who argues tactically, nor is there any possibility of the rational sharing of ideas...) Maybe I should find an opinion I agree with, and say so! That'd be a thrill. Or maybe I should take pictures of my dog! Nah, done that too many times. Plus, Coco isn't quite up to her usual energy levels yet, as she's still sulking from being in the kennel last weekend. How about uploading some cool pictures? Here's one which made my spirits soar: It's all about survival, right? Here's an even funnier picture (via Deroy Murdock): Yuck yuck. No name-calling, though! (Allah forbid that we might offend...) Hmmmm... Now I'm curious about something. Would uploading that picture be a crime in Austria, or is it only Holocaust denial that's a crime? I mean, have they left a loophole in the law allowing "Holocaust Approval" as long as you don't engage in "Holocaust Denial"? Apparently not. At least, not according to Skeptic Magazine's Michael Shermer. Here's his reading of the laws: In Austria it is a crime if a person "denies, grossly trivializes, approves or seeks to justify the national socialist genocide or other national socialist crimes against humanity." In France it is illegal to challenge the existence of the "crimes against humanity" as they were defined by the Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. In Germany, where the legal precedence began, the Auschwitzl¸ge, or "Auschwitz-Lie" Law, makes it a crime to "defame the memory of the dead." (Emphasis added.)Personally, while I don't agree with the above laws, I'd love to see the woman holding the sign above in prison. Or, preferably, dead. No good will come of her -- nor, probably, from her hellish progeny. But I should refrain from insulting her, shouldn't I? There's just some things you gotta do. Don't mean you have to like it. UPDATE: Where it comes to insults, the Germans don't mess around: DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A German court on Thursday convicted a businessman of insulting Islam by printing the word "Koran" on toilet paper and offering it to mosques.He could have gotten up to three years. Hmmm.... I don't think it should be a crime to "insult Islam" -- any more than it should be a crime to deny the Holocaust. However, time, place and manner restrictions are reasonable (and, in this country, constitutional). Insulting people at their places of worship is no more protected than picketing them at home. posted by Eric on 02.23.06 at 07:56 AM
Comments
That's a good piece, and I agree with Shermer. Thanks! Eric Scheie · February 23, 2006 03:16 PM |
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Shermer wrote an updated version of that article to comment on David Irvings sentence:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-shermer22feb22,0,2752813.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions