[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H4325-H4326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         POLITICALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY CORRECT SPEECH--IN EUROPE

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, freedom of speech is one of the most basic of 
all human rights. However, more and more European countries are 
arresting individuals for insult speech. Speech to be free must allow 
individuals to criticize religion and government.
  The first amendment protecting speech and press is first because it's 
the most important. But in Europe, speech must be politically and 
religiously correct. Criticize or insult another person's religion and 
you're likely to be hauled off to prison thanks to

[[Page H4326]]

the speech police. After all, heaven forbid, offensive or insult speech 
may hurt somebody's feelings.
  In Germany, an insult to a religion can be a crime worthy of 
imprisonment. Recently, a 61-year-old German businessman was convicted 
and sent to jail for offending Islam. The same thing happened in 
Britain where Nick Griffin was prosecuted for describing Islam as a 
``vicious and wicked faith.''
  Free speech must be universal. If controversial issues like religion 
and politics cannot be debated in countries, the people are not free, 
even in Europe.
  Teddy Roosevelt once said, ``Free speech, exercised both individually 
and through a free press, is a necessity in any country where people 
are themselves free.''
  And that's just the way it is.

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