No limits

Writing about web page http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7274259.stm

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. I can say almost anything I want on this blog, although with the slight restriction of a personal responsibility to censor myself:

The test here is not whether you, or your peers, find content offensive; it is whether such content could be deemed offensive to others.

Should public figures, government officials in particular, be held to such censorship as well? A country has a certain image to uphold, and the more prominent a representative becomes, the more synonymous he or she will be for the country’s image in the rest of the world.

At the moment, it seems the Netherlands has turned from the country of clogs, tulips, prostitution, and legalised drugs into the country of Wilders: a country where a limited number of muslims are welcome, as long as they agree to be ridiculed.

You would think that an MP or similar official would operate in the country’s best interest, whilst not ignoring his or her own beliefs and ideals. But where is the line?

Is there a line?

: 03 Mar 2008 14:20 |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem