Yesterday the EU set a dangerous precedent. Condoning or “grossly trivialising” genocide will become a crime punishable by up to three years in prison across Europe. Now condoning genocide is a ridiculous and sick thing to do, I think most of us will agree. We don't need a law to tell us that. The act was sparked by the German presidency of the EU and maybe in Germany they have reason to implement these tough laws with their history of Nazism and the holocaust. That is their business. I do not see the need for this law to be imposed on Britain however. We already have enough laws about inciting racial hatred and violence, so why impose yet more legislation on us? Graham Watson, MEP, leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, said: “The EU has no business legislating on history. We should leave that to historians and individual member states. Attempts to harmonise EU laws on hate crimes are both illiberal and nonsensical. [This] risks opening the floodgates on a plethora of historical controversies . . . whose inclusion could pose a grave threat to freedom of speech.” This is leaving the door open to legislating against thoughts, something that can not be done and stinks of a 1984 Big Brother type of society. By creating these laws the EU are in some ways legitimising the crack pots who no-one listens to by giving them a cause. Just because eastern Europe has had its racial problems, in Britain we have largely managed the problem fairly well so why do we need the EU to stick it unelected legislating nose in to it? Is this the end to Basil Fawlty's manic rants about the war? Is Life of Brian about to deemed illegal for "grossly trivialising" Christ? It's coming if the PC brigade have their way and I bet you it will create more problems than its solves...
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