Holocaust Denial and Facebook: The Saga Continues…

On the Huston Chronicle website there is an article entitled “Facebook Wrestles With Holocaust Denial” by Corilyn Shropshire. The article talks about the debate raging at the Facebook group “1,000,000 for the TRUTH about the Holocaust”. Corilyn states:

“The growing prevalence of incendiary discussion groups is forcing the popular social-networking site to wrestle with the Web’s more antisocial aspects. This week, it sparked a larger debate outside Facebook as well, prompting the site to yank two groups catering to Holocaust denial but allow a few others to remain.”

Brian Cuban’s open letter to Facebook, which implored Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to rid Facebook of all holocaust denial groups, was mentioned in the article. Corilyn stated that Brian, an American of Russian-Jewish descent, takes “Holocaust-denial” personally and has commented that “(Facebook) should not be picking and choosing who they think hates Jews and who doesn’t. All of these groups should go”. She went on to say:

“By policy, Facebook prohibits users from posting content that is “hateful, threatening, pornographic or that contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.””

The debate rages on…

The Huston Chronicle, like many sites, offers the chance for its readers to respond to their articles. There are many responses that tend to support removing pages for hate groups Facebook, some responses do not. One such response stood out to me, in brief it the writer asked if those supporting the removal of the pages from such groups as the “Holocaust-deniers” ever heard of the “Freedom of Speech”. The author when on to say:.

“If you do not like it, do not respect it, pack your things and head out to where you are allowed to think like a robot.”

Apparently “The Freedom of Speech”, to this person, means that you only have the freedom to say things that concurs with his/her opinion. In addition anyone disagreeing with ideologies that the writer agrees with is nothing short of being a “Robot” and must “pack their things” and “head out to where a person is allowed to think like a Robot”.

As Artie Johnson was fond of saying, “Very interesting, but stupid!” The last time I checked any American was allowed to think however they wished. If it pleased a person think, and speak, as a ‘Mindless Sheeple”… then that was permissible within the boundaries of the United States of America. That is why I have suffered for so many years defending the right of people like the author of this response, if I knew “Sheeple-like” activities were illegal under U.S. law then I would have made the attempt to have about half the population of the country deported over the course of the last 30 years or so. (Oops, I’m bad!)

Enough jocularity, this is a serious subject.

The author of the response went on to state how s/he holds the “Freedom of Speech” dear and claims that we all are entitled to voice our opinions… even if that opinion is about something that s/he doesn’t agree. Then s/he goes on to state:

“It is time that many of you learn to “RESPECT” frredom of speech.”

In order to “respect” (the) freedom of speech, you first must know what it is and what all it entails. This also includes having the ability to understand the concept that all speech is not free and there are legal exceptions to the first amendment.

In an article called “The Neutral Zone of Free Expression” on the Ashmadai Blog, the “Freedom of Expression is discussed in brief. In that article Ashmadai outlines the fact that there are exceptions to the freedom of speech, making the point rather well that “All Speech is not protected by the First Amendment”. In other words we do not have the right to simply say anything we wish, we have a ‘responsibility’ that goes along with the Freedom of Speech and all of our rights. It is also pointed out that Facebook is a private entity that allows people to join its site, therefore Mark Zuckerberg and Company do not have to grant the millions of Facebook Members the Freedom of Speech.

Facebook is attempting to mirror the ‘Freedom of Speech’ rights that we have in the US under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, or so it was claimed. If that is true, does that mean that Facebook is also attempting to mirror the other rights that we in the US enjoy (where they apply, of course)? If so does that mean that if someone has the right to promote their “holocaust-denial” group on Facebook, then someone else has the right to promote an “Anti-holocaust-denial” group or even a “Anti-Muslim” group on Facebook.

I do not urge the creating and promoting of pages on Facebook that deal with hate or unfounded anti-government conspiracies. I prefer things that are a little more realistic, or things that are so absurd that it is obvious the topic is humor. However if Facebook allows the “Holocaust-deniers” to remain, then where will it end and how far will it go?

Will Facebook allow a “Holocaust-denier” page that does nothing but make a mockery out of the “Holocaust Denial”? To do so could prevent problems because many holocaust-deniers have little or no sense of humor and would claim the page is offensive.

Will Facebook allow an “Anti-Holocaust Denial” page that promotes the idea of the holocaust and put down the ideas of these ‘Holocaust-deniers”? That could cause it’s own problems, one of which is all out war between the opposing groups.

A Final Word!

The proper handling of a forum or social site, like Facebook, isn’t easy. There will always be someone out there testing the limits and claiming what they say and do is one of their ‘protected freedoms’ and by Facebook telling them that they can’t say or do what they want… their rights are being violated. Trolls are good at such things and a good troll will go to great lengths to give the forum or social site as much trouble and bad publicity as possible. However those at Facebook must think this through and be stand-up Netizens by doing what is fair and just. If Facebook decides that the “Holocaust-denier” pages can stay then they must be willing to use the same litmus test for any other page that arises.

In response to the person responding to the Huston Chronicle article, I agree that we must respect the “Freedom of Speech”… we also must respect the “Freedom of Expression” as well. This works both ways and is not a one-sided thing. The person must realize that not everything they say is considered as ‘protected’ under the Freedom of Expression and refrain from saying hateful things. It’s as simple as that, but don’t hold your breath expecting such things to happen. People who hate rarely concern themselves with what others think and feel.