Freedom of Speech? Not in Austria

This post is dedicated to Renegade Eye. Thanks for caring. Your my favorite (and pretty much only) reader.

So this story really pissed me off. Author states holocaust deaths were more from disease than extermination. He also says the Nazi's weren't as bad as advertised. He then writes books stating that Hitler probably had no idea what was happening. This pisses off people and makes this guy look like a heel. Austria (champion of democracy that they are) convicts him under a very vague law and seeks to jail him for up to ten years.

I have to ask, "Where's the crime"?

Is he a racist? Maybe, but the last time I looked, it wasn't a crime to speak your opinion. This leads me to what I'd like to fancy as logical questions...

1. Shouldn't the books published under his name be banned?
2. Should those publishers be tried and charged as well?
3. Should we start surveying our citizens and charging them when they don't bend to popular opinion?
4. Should we all get our firesuits ready for the Bradburyesque book roast that surely awaits?

I think the only immoral thing he may have done is tried to concede anything to the Austrian courts in the eleventh hour. He kind of redeemed himself with the quote, ""Of course it's a question of freedom of speech, the law is an ass." That sure made me giggle a little.

I don't agree with the guy, but he has as much right as anyone else to his opinions as long as he's not infringing on the rights of others. No matter what the Simon Wiesenthal Center says, freedom of speech should be protected even if it goes against your convictions.