Saturday, July 16, 2016

Why Censorship Is Wrong

Had this woman's awful views been covered up and should the complaint against her be successful in a kangaroo court, people would never understand the value of having such things in the open and being able to do something about it, namely shun her and her vile opinions and consign her to the dustbin where she belongs:

On her Facebook page, Monika Schaefer lists herself as a self-employed violin instructor.  

In the first five seconds of her video titled "Sorry Mom, I was wrong about the Holocaust," the former Green party candidate is shown deftly playing the violin.

However, it's not her violin playing but what she says in the video that is garnering all of the attention.
Less than three minutes into the video Schaefer, who was born in Canada of German heritage, tells a story of how as a child she was taught to believe the Holocaust happened.

She goes on to say she confronted her parents about why they didn't do anything to stop the Holocaust. 

They replied they didn't know it was happening. Schaefer says her parents didn't know about the genocide because "these things did not happen."

Later in the video she says that since 2014 she started to realize the Holocaust "is the biggest and most pernicious and persistent lie in all of history."

Throughout the video she expresses her firm belief that six million Jews did not die at the hands of Nazi Germany and refers to the Holocaust as "the six-million lie." ...

In the comments section under her YouTube posting, there are supporters — some even applauding her for "speaking the truth." But just as many are condemning the Jasper music teacher's comments.
Ken Kuzminski is one of them.  

Kuzminski used to be friends with Schaefer but says that all changed after he saw her video.  He says many people have approached him in the town of Jasper in disbelief over what Schaefer has said.

"It is a hate crime in my mind and I believe it should be investigated as such," said Kuzminski, who is also the president of the local Legion in Jasper.

He says Schaefer is no longer welcomed at the legion.

Kuzminski filed a complaint with the Alberta and Canadian Human Rights Commission, citing Schaefer's denial of the Holocaust as hate speech.

"By allowing it to be unchallenged like this gives licence to the people that want to spread hatred, and ignorance even further, and you see that on the comments of her YouTube videos, the hatred that's being expressed there," said Kuzminski.

This is where Mr. Kuzminski and his reliance on a kangaroo court meant to settle private vendettas errs. It might sound like a good idea to shut Miss Schaefer up for now. It won't work. She will be made a victim of an unaccountable body and become a hero, something she is clearly not.

And any complaint can be made at any time by anyone for any reason.

Imagine someone lodging a complaint about criticism of China's organ trade. How well would that go down?

Now one knows Miss Schaefer's views (and the party to which she belonged). Now is the chance to educate her and others about not only the Holocaust but other atrocities. Failing that, at least react with the repugnance such a shocking denial of history deserves.

Sadly, there are people who hold these rancid views but now everyone knows who they are and what they stand for. Now everyone else can fortify themselves with historical fact and moral furor.

One can't do that underground.



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