Snapped Shot

Always Watching the All-Seeing Eye

 

Criminal Speech in France?

By Brian C. Ledbetter · Friday, November 9. 2007 08:44
There are reports floating around that a French blogger is being taken to court over an image posted on their website which was critical of Islam. I can't verify the veracity of these reports, as my French is only as strong as Google Translate makes it, but last I checked, wasn't one of the founding principals of the French Republic the absolute right to free thought with respect to religion?

The website under legal review is Liberty Vox, whose original article (autotranslated) was published way back on June 25th. I have no idea why the French government would be taking action now—which brings the entire report into question.

Here's the offending graphic. Let's hope it hasn't been outlawed here in the United States as well.

Is this "unacceptable" speech?


If any of y'all have more info on this, I'd love to hear it! I'll be posting updates if I get any.

Update: Curses, foiled again! Thanks to J. C. Wilmore for pointing out that speech is actually quite regulated in France, which is actually on its fifth "Republic" since Ye Olde Revolution. Not being an expert on French law, I apologize for the mistake of making a sweeping statement about freedom of speech in France—which is apparently in a pretty dire state.
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Here is what a handful of random people think about this article. But first, the fine print:
The opinions expressed here, even where approved for display, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this website, the management, or any other entity or organization, with the exception of the Vast Zionist Conspiracy. Those opinions we represent in style, yo. Please keep the language in these comments clean, as this is intended to be a family-friendly, work-friendly website. Comments not compliant with this policy will be edited for content where necessary. Abusive or otherwise illegal comments will be reported to the proper authorities, up to and including the aforementioned Vast Zionist Conspiracy. The Management cannot and will not be held responsible for commenters making a spectacle of themselves, even if The Management are the said commenters in question. In other words, don't take yourself so seriously, folks. We're all here to discuss the news, and more importantly, to have fun. Now go get yourself into some OCD treatment program—you obviously need it if you actually read all of this mess.

LeCoqFou on 2007-11-09 11:36 #1
*Si vous continuez à diffamer le drapeau de France, je serai forcé à prendre la violence française rapide sur votre pays pathétique !
Reply  
Sonjay Dutt on 2007-11-09 11:37 #2
*Nous oser, le régime islamique, en faiant une telle chose dans notre beau pays! Je mourrai avant que je vois que cette série bâtarde libère. La France en vie longue!
Reply  
J.C. Wilmore on 2007-11-09 11:39 #3
*Ummm . . . France is on it's fifth republic since the fall of Louis XVI; that's five constitutions, so you're about four constitutions behind the times. Maybe you should consult the current French Constitution, the constitution of the Fifth Republic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_France

And while you're at it, perhaps you should do some research in French constitutional law to see how they interpret free speech.

I'm just curious as to how you reached your conclusions. I assume you're an expert in this field since you took the time to make such a definitive statement about it. I assume you're an expert because offering an opinion like yours about something you know very little about would be silly, don't you think?
Reply  
Sonjay Dutt on 2007-11-09 11:44 #4
*J.c. Wilmore est du régime islamique. L'assaut, Français, l'assaut!
Reply  
Brian C. Ledbetter on 2007-11-09 11:48 #5
*J.C.,

Touché. Thank you for pointing this out, I've made the appropriate corrections above.

Regards,
Brian
Reply  
Anonymous on 2007-11-09 11:51 #6
J.C. -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/st_cwis/frenchrly.gif
Reply  
Cletus on 2007-11-09 12:23 #7
*Srsly J.C you don't have to be such a prolapsed sock of an asshole about it.

Go eat a baguette you "foetus congelé de chèvre"
Reply  
forest on 2007-11-09 12:58 #8
*I guess in France the phrase "you have the right to remain silent" has a much broader application.
Reply  
LeCoqFou on 2007-11-09 13:29 #9
*J.C. Wilmore est un pénis de cheval.
Reply  
LeCoqFou on 2007-11-09 13:47 #10
*Quelqu'un aller en vacances ?

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/3064/hitlerinparis5adb374kg7.jpg
Reply  
J.C. Wilmore on 2007-11-09 14:04 #11
*I glanced at the current French Constitution today and noticed that really didn't address free speech.

I think the document you may have been thinking of is "La Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen," aka "The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen."

You can read about it at Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen

The current Constitution of the 5th Republic explicitly adopts "The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" as having constitutional authority. I think perhaps it serves as the rough equivalent of our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, though the Bill of Rights is actually considered part of our U.S. Constitution because it is actually ten amendments.

Another interesting comparison can be drawn with the British "constitution," which is in part unwritten.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Constitution
Reply  
JewMaroo on 2007-11-09 14:07 #12
*Brian took that same vacation:

http://toddbeaz.com/pics/brianinparis.jpg
Reply  
Brian C. Ledbetter on 2007-11-09 14:33 #13
*Bwahahahaahah!
Reply  
Brian C. Ledbetter on 2007-11-09 14:35 #14
*J.C.,

Yeah, it's definitely the Declaration of Rights that I was trying to refer to—though it would appear that the modern French government is quite a long way from actually observing these rights, if the article I linked to is any indication.

I still haven't heard anything further about this little controversy—I pinged a French blogger/compatriot, but he must be Le Busy. Hopefully, we'll be able to see whether this story passes the smell test before too long... until then, I'll continue to regard it as unsubstantiated scuttlebutt.

Regards,
Brian
Reply  
LeCoqFou on 2007-11-09 14:37 #15
*Mon erreur, ma correction.

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9595/frenchiebrian2in2.jpg
Reply  
Sonjay Dutt on 2007-11-09 14:38 #16
*He was there twice! Foutaise sainte!

<img src="http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/622/41911776kx5.jpg">
Reply  
Sonjay Dutt on 2007-11-09 14:40 #17
*http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/622/41911776kx5.jpg
Reply  
Brian C. Ledbetter on 2007-11-09 14:43 #18
*LOL! I think Sonjay wins the prize on this one! I'm in stitches over here!!
Reply  
forest on 2007-11-09 16:09 #19
*Brian,

You look pretty sharp in that expensive leather coat. Speer may have been guilty of using slave labor, but he at least had a decent fashion sense - for a Nazi. ;-)
Reply  
Cletus on 2007-11-09 16:22 #20
*the nazi's had awesome fashion sense, but they were such pricks that now you can't dress like that anymore
Reply  
Enzo on 2007-11-10 13:29 #21
*Strange to read so much crap in the comments page! Snappedshot is quite rightly concerned with the fate of the blogger and his website. I checked, for the first time ever, the link you gave us and found a VERY interesting site. I spent some time reading well written articles and checked the forum! If you want to know what's happening, please check the last page of the forum. My French is scholastic like my English, but, trust me, I read VERY interesting things...!
Keep up the good work, snappedshot!
I read you every day!
Reply  
Enzo on 2007-11-10 19:15 #22
*Please, check this out. Blog and blogger are under police investigations!
You are right!
http://leblogdrzz.over-blog.com/article-13665659.html
Reply  
willow on 2008-01-31 23:42 #23
*Lionheart is also under threat, from both the British authorities and mad men such as Charles Johnson of LGF.
Charles Johnson, is a dangerous traitor.
Reply  

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