Sunday February 19, 2006

I've Been Thinking:

The British House of Commons has passed a law making it illegal to "glorify terror."
Significant legislature or fancy rhetoric?

The fact that the House of Commons put this law into writing is significant, very significant. It is another essential tool enabling democratic countries in the fight against terror.

Students of British law will know that Britain already has a law prohibiting the fostering of terror. Is this new law redundant?
There is a nuanced difference between this new law and the old law.
This law deals with glorifying terror in the past and in the present while the old law speaks only of past acts.

Doesn't this law limit freedom of expression? It does, but it limits a personal freedom in order to protect the masses by allowing authorities to clamp down on the sermonizers and charismatic motivators of terror in England.

Freedom has it limits.
The primary role of a democracy is the preservation of that democracy.
This new law honors and upholds the democratic principles.