Freedom Of speech

Recently we have witnessed several different interpretations of freedom of speech . While it is a given that dictatorships to varying degrees prohibit this, it is amazing that we have extremes even in democracies.

The Moslem reaction to "the Danish cartoons," is an example of the type of freedom we here in the United States experience. Here, we have the freedom to make an ass out of ourselves, by inflammatory remarks or cartoons. While not necessarily in good taste, the Danish newspaper was within it's right to publish.

In another democracy, Austria, we have a horse of a different color. Frankly, I was shocked that a British Anti-Semite author, got a prison sentence of three years, for stating an opinion. That the opinion was grossly un-popular, untrue, and insulting to the victims of the holocaust, is not the point.

This may be the only country in the civilized group of nations that criminalize opinion and speech, however unpopular. Austria can, I'm sure find better ways to apologize for it's own Anti-semitism.

We here in Idaho have had our bad experiences with Nazis, but we defeated them with ridicule and derision, something that they couldn't tolerate.

Austria has taken a step backward that equals some of the historical sins of the past. Shame! Another freedom goes down. With the advent of "political correctness" invading our own country, will we all end up homogenized, with lesser freedoms? It would seem that many are chipping away...