Hey, does anybody remember that little idea they called Freedom of Speech?

[The Question]

First we have Ernst Zundel and other people being thrown in prison for questioning the official account(s) of the Holocaust under the direction German, Austrian and other nations' laws, sometimes with the assistance of allegedly free countries like the U.S. and Canada. Now, Britain brings you headlines like...

Artist T-Shirt Demo Tests New Law.

What new law?

An artist is planning to challenge new laws which ban protests near Parliament by wearing a T-shirt with the words "this is not a protest" on it.

Mark McGowan will walk backwards around Westminster, central London, whispering the words to passers-by.

Under new laws, demonstrators must get police consent before holding a protest within a half-mile radius of the House of Commons.

"If you lose the right to protest, something's really wrong," he said.

The new rules were intended to remove Brian Haw, an anti-war protester who has camped in Parliament Square for four years.


I've seen Brian Haw's protest and it's true what they say, it is quite unsightly
Mark McGowan
But he fought off the attempt to evict him in the High Court, by arguing his protest pre-dated the legislation.

Last week Maya Evans was convicted under Section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act for reading out the names of soldiers who died in Iraq at the Cenotaph.

Mr McGowan, an artist from Peckham, south-east London, said: "It wasn't very democratic and it wasn't right.

"I've seen Brian Haw's protest and it's true what they say, it is quite unsightly. But he has a right to be there and we have a right to have our voices heard."

Mr McGowan has staged several high profile performances, including rolling a nut across London to highlight the problem of student debt, and pulling a bus with his big toe.

Oh, that wacky artist! Wacky, I say! Wait -- he's not the most important part of that story, is he? Let's focus in, here.

Last week Maya Evans was convicted under Section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act for reading out the names of soldiers who died in Iraq at the Cenotaph.

Convicted of reading out names.

They came for the holocaust skeptics, and I said nothing, because I was not a holocaust skeptic. Then they came for the anti-war protesters, and I said nothing, because I was not an anti-war protester.

Am I overreacting? At first glance, you might think so. Or maybe I'm being what the framers of the Constitution would have called, "vigilant." And maybe those of you who think that's a bad thing should ask yourself who told you it is.

 

[Mandi]

I see they are doing anything to stop the protest of the war. Guess I better mind my P's and Q's. They might start it here!

 

[The Question]

Whatever happened to, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."?

 

[The Carver]

The world has changed. It is no longer about the freedom of speech and rights. It is about vanity and beauty. It is my hope to change that.

 

[Mandi]

Whatever happened to, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."?

It was replaced by "how much money can I make?"

 

[The Question]

The world has changed. It is no longer about the freedom of speech and rights. It is about vanity and beauty. It is my hope to change that.

Well, that's very noble. Of course, "very noble" amounts to rat's ass unless it's going hand in hand with "very practical." So -- do you have a Very Practical plan for reaching that goal?

 

[jack]

Whatever happened to, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."?

I think that was a Vermont expression.

 

[The Question]

Well, it's a GOOD varmint expression!