Erasing Memories and Dissent

(Source: Libertarian Republican)

French censor magazine photo of kidnapped Jew killed by radical Islamists

by Eric Dondero

It's a typical scenario, one played out thousands of times here in the United States. Can't show images of 9/11 on the television news, for it would incite fear and even hatred among Americans. Can't show photos of the victims jumping out of the top floors of the Twin Towers, to escape the engulfing flames. Can't show video footage of Wall Street Journal investigative journalist Daniel Pearle being de-capitated, or Michael Berg having his head sawed off by Abu Massad al-Zarcawi.

Oddly, footage of alleged "abuse," when it comes to Abu Grhaib or Gitmo is just fine.

Now, the French are joining the fray. John Rosenthal of The New Majority, a defense conservative on-line magazine, has been following the story of Ilan Hamili, a French Jew who was kidnapped, tortured for two weeks and then had a knife stuck in his neck, and just to be doubly sure he was dead, was thrown in front of a passing train.

Hamili had been lured by a woman who hinted a sexual relationship, to a Paris banlieues, into the hands of waiting Radical Islamists.

Before they stuck the knife in his neck, they forced him to read a confession:

“I am Ilan. Ilan Halimi. I am the son of Halimi Didier and of Halimi Ruth. I am Jewish. I am being held hostage.”

But during the court trial, to "protect the defendents' rights," Judge Philippe Jean-Draeher found that publication of the photo amounted to a “manifestly illicit disturbance.” According to Rosenthal, he ruled that further publication would lead to a fine of "€200 for each issue of Choc that remained on the newsstands."

Of course, here in the States, being fined for showing images of 9/11 has still not risen to the level of criminal proceedings. But can that be too far away?

The Fairness Doctrine, proposals by the Obama administration to have "community boards," policing content on the public airwaves, suggestions by some Democrats of hate crime legislation, targetted to protect specific minority groups like Muslims in many communities throughout the US, whitewashing of college textbooks of 9/11, are all examples of censorship happening right here, right now, here in the United States.

Showing bodies falling out of the Twin Towers could be inflamatory and could incite "hatred," of course. Is there any doubt that once liberals get complete control of the airwaves, publications and even the internet, showing such images will be considered "hate crime"?

We'll still show such images here at LR; while it's still legal here in the US. And, for now, if the French courts wish to come after us: C'est ne pas probleme.

(H/t Gateway Pundit)