The European model

Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker faces hate speech trial

AMSTERDAM – Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders sat in the defendant's dock Wednesday, nodding his head as prosecutors read aloud a hundred remarks he has made condemning Islam, Muslims and immigrants — notably one comparing the Quran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

Many countries in Europe have some form of offensive speech laws. I too would love to be able to tell people like the KKK or race baiters to shut the hell up or go to jail, but one of the things our Founding Fathers got right was the protection of free speech. They understood that it was one of the few things that guaranteed a society free from government oppression. Jefferson believed that it was one of the inalienable rights of man, but many others knew that unless spelled out, governments penchant to try and increase its scope and power would infringe on that freedom, thus the bill of rights. They knew that if you limited speech because someone felt that it was offensive, it would only be a small leap to finding certain political speech offensive.
I can't stand some of the political or racial idiocy that is perpetrated out there by our "leaders" or just the average man on the street, but I would do everything in my power to insure that they can continue with their hoof n mouth disease.