Thread: go to prison for insulting someone?

To all our brothers of the blade in the Netherlands, can you really go to prison if you insult someone, or some ideology?? Do you have some provision in your governing documents guaranteeing the freedom of speech? I am really curious about this issue, and the implications it would have on the people there.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481665,00.html

Matt

Edit: Before I have someone posting that his speech was so bad that it incited hatered (which is in the article, I know), i want to know how you define this. Where is the line drawn? Here in the USA, you will have KKK nutjobs marching on Martin Luther King Day, and promoting their propaganda in that day, clearly with the intent to incite hatrered, however hatred is not a crime. I can hate someone all i want, and I won't go to prison. They are free to make this hate speach all they want, because it is their protected right to freedom of speech. However, how do you know when speech is so bad that it is criminal?

As it seems not for insulting Someone or some ideology, but more concrete: Insulting Islam.
I know of the case you are referring to, and in Norway the same kind of laws are in motion.Our old blasphemi paragraph are beeing removed, and a general law intended to protect minorities religious views will replace it.So, yes sadly you could go to prison.Strangly enough you could say just about anything about the catholic church without any reaction, in Norway the media openly compares Israel with Nazi Germany.....I think Europe is going crazy..

Not intended to have such an angry tone, but this really ticks me of, its an outright attack on freedom of speech!

Kristoffer

In Europe we don't have legislation guaranteeing freedom of speech. We do, however, have a Human Rights Charter, which guarantees criminals the right to an easy trial.

Originally Posted by mhailey

To all our brothers of the blade in the Netherlands, can you really go to prison if you insult someone, or some ideology?? Do you have some provision in your governing documents guaranteeing the freedom of speech? I am really curious about this issue, and the implications it would have on the people there.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481665,00.html

Matt

Edit: Before I have someone posting that his speech was so bad that it incited hatered (which is in the article, I know), i want to know how you define this. Where is the line drawn? Here in the USA, you will have KKK nutjobs marching on Martin Luther King Day, and promoting their propaganda in that day, clearly with the intent to incite hatrered, however hatred is not a crime. I can hate someone all i want, and I won't go to prison. They are free to make this hate speach all they want, because it is their protected right to freedom of speech. However, how do you know when speech is so bad that it is criminal?

I guess Europe and the US is very much different in this aspect. In Europe immigration from the muslim world has been met with constant change in our culture to adapt to their culture for the last 30 years.
The bar for being called a racist in Norway,and the rest of europe, is extremly low.And actually when accused for racism in Norway, you have to prove your innocense!
Anyways, to illustrate how this has,and will,affect our freedom of speech.All you have to do is look at the case with the drawings of Muhammed a few years back, europe was set on fire.
Or more of late, a singel proIsrael peaceful demonstration was held in Oslo a few weeks ago.Result:
hundreds of young muslims trashed the whole city, they destroyed for millions!Old people with Israely fllags was beaten senceles....I guess you could say we have a well intergated country in respect of race.And that goes for the rest of europe to.No sane person would think of some races superiour to others.(Like KKK nutjobs)But in regards of culture and religion, there is big trouble in the horizon...
How is the marked for carpenters in the US?

That is really astounding to me, and dumbfounding. It seems to me that everyone is so scared of insulting islam, that they are running scared, but the followers of islam can insult anyone they want with impunity. I don't understand that. Were any of the looters criminally prosecuted for the destruction of the city, or for the beatings of the pro-Isreal demonstrators, or were they let off the hook completely, because they would loot and pillage if they were prosecuted?

Matt

Im a Brick Mason/Taxidrmist and there is NO construction work hardly! You might wanna hold off a wile before coming LoL ....and it is not looking any better any time soon.

Matt

Originally Posted by mhailey

That is really astounding to me, and dumbfounding. It seems to me that everyone is so scared of insulting islam, that they are running scared, but the followers of islam can insult anyone they want with impunity. I don't understand that. Were any of the looters criminally prosecuted for the destruction of the city, or for the beatings of the pro-Isreal demonstrators, or were they let off the hook completely, because they would loot and pillage if they were prosecuted?

Matt

This is the worst part: They were let of the hook!And the police arrested over a 100! with only 3 or 4 being palestines! The rest from pakistan, africa,iran and iraq, pluss a few norwegian communists/ultra socialists! So much for the political motive! Like it would help the children in Gaza if they are throwing rocks and fireing fireworks at the norwegian police!
Instead of prosecuting them, the police and some politicians called for a meeting, where everyone talked about how much anger these young men had, and how they were treted unfairly by society.
I heard an iterview with one of these climinals, where he openly stated that he would do it again, and that he really didn't care about the broken stores as they were not his!!!!!

Originally Posted by Vashaver

Im a Brick Mason/Taxidrmist and there is NO construction work hardly! You might wanna hold off a wile before coming LoL ....and it is not looking any better any time soon.

Matt

Hope things will change til the better for you!
Lets hope Obama can put words to action!

Well.. we live in a small country with 16 million people..

So if you want to live together their are some rules of engagement.. You cannot insult just anybody, which I dont think is a bad thing.. but the borders of what you can say or cannot say are pretty vague... you can say a lot overhere because most people dont let themselves be offended.and wouldnt press charges...
Anybody could press charges if they are grieved in any way.. off course that doesnt mean you will be convicted..

The procecution did not want a trail but the court wants to clarify those borders and think this is a case where they could do that..

I would realy doubt that mr Wilders will be convicted but I think he likes all this attention anyway..

I think this a bit more balanced article on the subject..

nrc.nl - International - Geert Wilders prosecuted for hate speech

Originally Posted by mhailey

To all our brothers of the blade in the Netherlands, can you really go to prison if you insult someone, or some ideology?? Do you have some provision in your governing documents guaranteeing the freedom of speech? I am really curious about this issue, and the implications it would have on the people there.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481665,00.html

Matt

Edit: Before I have someone posting that his speech was so bad that it incited hatered (which is in the article, I know), i want to know how you define this. Where is the line drawn? Here in the USA, you will have KKK nutjobs marching on Martin Luther King Day, and promoting their propaganda in that day, clearly with the intent to incite hatrered, however hatred is not a crime. I can hate someone all i want, and I won't go to prison. They are free to make this hate speach all they want, because it is their protected right to freedom of speech. However, how do you know when speech is so bad that it is criminal?

Here in the U.S if you make a speech in which you threaten someone with physical harm that legally is considered an assault. Its a simple assault and a misdemeanor so most of the time its ignored but if you press the issue charges could be brought. Most though, avoid making specific threats and imply the threats so then no crime has been committed.