Freedom of speech?

by The Rebel 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  The Rebel

  Attending my boys parents evening it was mentiond they were to study the " diary of Anne Frank". ( He is 10 years old) I pointed out to the teacher that having read the book, in my option the book was not written entirely by Anne Frank, and I would educate my boy on why I believe this to be so.

  In my mind this was a totally reasonable responce by me, but it has resulted in the head-master of the school wanting to meet with me. I think it wrong that an educational system will I suspect meet with me and presumably suggest my options on the " Anne Frank diary" constitute hate speech, as nothing could be further from the truth.

  Freedom of speech is never absolute, but at what point do you think it reasonable and justified?

  The Rebel.
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  Ben131895

  Evidently, some parts of the book were written with ballpoint. Ballpoints (made by BIC) were not sold until after WW2.
  
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  KateWild

  I have read that Otto Frank, her father edited the diary and added to it after Anne's death in 1944.

  I was not taught this at school and think it's important that when reading it people know.

  Whether or not it's true is another matter, but the fact that there is speculation about it is relevant.

  Kate xx
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  The Rebel

  Thanks for the reply " Ben".

  Personally to me, it's ridiculouse that the story is anything than made up. In the first entries we are told of the need to make no noice, yet daily they are using a vacuum cleaner at 11.30 in the morning,and they are chopping wood with an axe to make chimney smoke, at night, it's just ridiculouse.

  But the bigger issue I believe is that it's a properganda book, designed to make money on an an innocent girl. To do that they created in that diary an innocent first first love Anne & Peter, victims of a black and white world. It's total properganda and the message of hatred to the German nation I believe abhorrent.

  Sadly I believe if it wasn't for this diary, the 100s of genuine diaries written by girls in hiding may be read. Those stories are the true history of those terrible times, and they show a truer history of humanity.

  This is why words should never be banned, and opinions allowed to be spoken. If you ban words you ban " Freedom of speech". However words should be exposed, held up to the light and questioned. But never banned.

  The Rebel.
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  bemused

  I think in an ultra sensitive area such as this where holocaust deniers have cast doubt on the authenticity of the diaries as a whole or even whether Anne Frank existed then you need to be very sure about your facts. However so long as you can show that you have solid grounds for believing that not all of the diaries were written by Anne then you should be fine.
  
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  Diogenesister

  The Rebel....sorry at first I thought you innocently meant that, as Katewild mentioned, that the book was edited.

  Then the truth comes out....

  I'm not surprised the teacher wants to meet with you.

  Hate toward the German nation???? In my opinion the only thing wrong with that is EVERY nation is as guilty for standing by and letting them DO IT.
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  The Rebel

  Diognisister, " in my opinion the only thing wrong with that is every NATIION is as guilty for standing by and letting them DO it"

  The Rebel :- I would answer, to a lesser degree you are right, but some countries like Canada even allow the government to pass laws that limit free expression, so long as the limits are "reasonable and justified" to the Canadian government. Sadly those fine lines could in Canada be miss construed, because I believe saying the " diary of Anne Frank" was a hoax, is not hate speech, whilst they believe that makes me anti-Semitic.

  How do we define free speech?

  The Rebel.
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  DesirousOfChange

  I assume you're in Germany, or at least somewhere in Europe? The same extreme Political Correctness is creeping in here in the US as well. Big changes ahead, I fear.

  Doc
  
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  punkofnice

  You have good reason to believe that parts of the diary were not written by Ann Frank. What's the big deal?

  It doesn't constitute 'hate speech' anymore than not believing the bible is god's word.

  I wonder if you've got a PC bully, or one of those namby pamby liberal dipsticks that finds fear in their own shadow 'in case(tm)' it offends someone that should bloody well know better?

  Maybe not. Maybe he's a perfectly reasonable bloke. Let us know what happens.

  But freedom of speech is one of those hot potato areas. Damned if you do damned if you don't. But simply not believing a book is not totally authentic is no crime, it's just an opinion or knowledge. It isn't hurting anyone.
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  Ben131895

  In some (European) countries there is no freedom of speech at all. Countries like France, Germany & Austria have strict rules about what is allowed to tell other people. In Germany it is against the law not to agree with what happened at the Nurnberg trials in 1945/1946. They blamed Germany for the murder on 15.000 Polish officers but it were actually the Russians who did it. Telling so could bring you in prison. David Irving, a UK historian who uses only original German sources was brought in prison in Austria for telling the truth. Germar Rudolph, a German Phd chemist was brought in prison after proving that the gassing in Auschwitz on Jews never could have happened in the 'original' gas chamber (which was actually build by the Polish & Russians in 1947). Over 35.000 books in Germany are forbidden to be sold or printed. Revisionists are not allowed to have a different view about what happened during WW2.