The article; "Should a Hated Word be Banned?" by Jodi Rudoren centers around the values of free speech, and ponders the results of limiting free speech. This particular article discusses a recent proposal in Israel to make the word Nazi "illegal." The bill, already given preliminary approval by the Israeli parliament, states that "Nazi-or any other slur associated with the Holocaust...would result in a fine of as much as 29,00 and up to six months in jail." As one may guess, this bill has created quite a controversy in Israel- a controversy stirring up both memories of the Holocaust, as well as questions regarding how far Israeli government is willing to go to protect the right of free speech.
The article displays a quote from Rabbi Dov Lipman, one of the many who supports the bill. "Freedom of Speech is Important, but in my opinion, every country has to establish certain value-based limits." I somewhat agree with this statement. I believe that each country should decide their own limits for free speech. For example, I forcefully oppose men in countries like India and Indonesia who are able to speak and write with anti-feminism agendas. However, I believe that in cases like the one described in the article, it is important not to ban these holocaust-related words. By banning these words, we are not keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive.
Initially, this may sound awful. During the Holocaust and World War 1, "6 million Jews had been killed, along with many Gypsies, Homosexuals, and many others the Nazis considered undesirable." One sixth of these "undesirables" were children. Why would we want to keep the memory of the Nazis alive? I'm afraid that as soon as we forget about the Holocaust, or any other huge time period of suffering (ie. Hiroshima, World War 1, The Civil War), we forget about the cause. The Holocaust began with the Nazis announcing a boycott on Jewish stores and businesses, and ended with burning human flesh in Concentration camps. This shows us how one thing can lead to another, and blow completely out of proportion.
In summation, I do not believe Israel should pass a bill restricting the Word "Nazi," and other Holocaust related slurs. Other efforts may be made to respect the memory of the Holocaust, rather then tarnish in with ill-mannered terms.
