NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Reality Check People in Western countries are being brought up to believe that no other form of political governing can be better than democracy. Such belief, of course, is absolutely valid, because the spiritual foundation of Western civilization corresponds to citizens ability to freely express their opinions, during the course of public debates, and to participate in democratic elections, without the fear of punishment over their political affiliation. However, in recent years, the hawks of political correctness in Western countries strive for nothing less then taking peoples essential civil freedoms away from them, while suggesting this will bring about the era of universal peace and tolerance, when citizens will have to celebrate diversity as their foremost priority. As famous saying goes road to hell is made out of best intentions. While struggling to spread the notion of democracy throughout the world, America slowly transforms its essence into left-wing ideological dictatorship, where people can easily loose their jobs, freedom and even lives, if they fail to share the dogmas of political liberalism. The most notable example of liberalism at work is the fate of Ernst Zundel, who refused to refer to Holocaust as the most gruesome act of genocide in history.
Zundel's crime consisted of him suggesting that Jews were not only the ones who suffered during the course of WWII. For this, Zundel who lived in Canada for over 20 years, while employing as many as hundred people in his publishing company, and who was considered an upstanding citizen, was stripped of his citizenship and deported to Germany, where he is now doing time in jail, because in this democratic country, performing historical inquiry on the subject of Holocaust is punishable by the law. In his article Ernst Zundel: Political Prisoner Mark Weber explains the reasons why Zundel was being incarcerated: Zundel is in prison not because his views are unpopular, or because hes a security risk. Hes in prison because Jewish-Zionist groups want him there. Hes a prisoner because he promotes views that the Jewish-Zionist lobby considers harmful to its interests. This lobby is the decisive, critical factor in the decades-old campaign to silence him (Weber).
In 1999, Zundel was being charged with hate crime in Canada, simply because he published a brochure, in which he was able to prove that there is absolutely no factual evidence that would substantiate the claims of Holocaust survivors, the number of which increases every year, as time goes by, even though that it should be other way around. Apparently, Canadian authorities are not concerned with pressing the charges of hate crime against Moslem immigrants to this country, who engage in terrorist activities against America and who are even allowed to carry daggers in public, as part of celebrating their ethnic uniqueness, while relying on welfare checks and drug trafficking, as only the sources of income. It is Ernst Zundel that represents the threat to national security, in their eyes, despite the fact that he is peaceful individual who only strives to find out what actually happened to Jews during WWII, without relying on information from mainstream Medias, 95 % of which belong to representatives of chosen people. During the course of court hearing in Germany, Zundel was being deprived of his right to be represented by the lawyer, simply because judge did not like the defendant. Zundel was being constantly yelled upon, in order to undermine his mental stability. Just as in time of Inquisition, judge kept asking Zundel to repent his sinful views.
He said that denying Holocaust, on Zundel's part, was the same as if he was suggesting that sun rises from the West. Just as with the case of Galileo Galilee's trial in 17 th century, Zundel's views were being proclaimed as heretical. No person in his sober mind can believe that such mockery of a trial could be made possible in the country that proclaims itself as being fully democratic. Yet, this is a reality, whatever unbelievable it might sound.
The majority of people who support Zundel in his struggle do not necessarily share his beliefs. However, they rightly point out to the fact that the notion of freedom of speech cannot be challenged in principle; otherwise, it will only be the matter of time, before we find ourselves living on Orwellian anti-utopia, while being watched by big brother. Even many Jews express their disgust with the fact that Zundel was being jailed merely because he has unconventional view on the issue of Holocaust. In his article Non-Zionist Jews Denounce Zundel Incarceration, Jeff Tanzer says: As a Jew here in Amerika, I have been paying close attention to Mr.
Zundel's travesty of justice. I was taught that Jews were bound to protect the rights and freedoms of others, even if those views were different from mine. I have learned painfully that this has been a lie, that there are Jews who do not live by these ideals (Tanzer). Today, Liberal haters press charges against historical revisionists, but nobody knows whom they will choose as their next target tomorrow, which is why it is very important that people view onslaught on the freedom of speech as personal insult. In his 1968 address to U. S.
Congress, Reverend Martin Niemoller wrote: First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me (Niemoller). The trial and sub sequential imprisonment of Ernst Zundel should serve as a wake up call for those citizens who believe in the ideals of democracy. Apparently, civil freedoms are never being presented to people on the platter and they must constantly be fought for, if we want to protect the integrity of Western countries.
We live in time when self-appointed guardians of public morality are becoming arrogant enough to tell us how to live our lives and even to what thoughts should be inside of our minds. Such situation is intolerable. Those citizens who are not being completely brainwashed need to adopt an active stance, when it comes to protecting their freedoms, because history teaches us that, once people choose in favor of security over freedom, it is only the matter of very short time, before they loose both. The case of Ernst Zundel must be taken as warning by all freedom loving people in the whole world. The essence of hatred and intolerance always remains the same, regardless of a mask that it uses at particular point of time, to conceal its ugly face. Today, hatred adopted a form of political correctness, while striving to represent itself as something opposite to what it really is.
Millions and millions of dollars are being extorted from Swiss banks by Holocaust survivors, who were born in sixties, without anybody being able to do anything about it, because everybody are afraid of being labeled as anti-Semites. Zundel was able to overcome his fears; therefore, it would not be an exaggeration, on our part, to refer to him as hero of modern times. The notion of hate crime is nothing but euphemism for the term thought crime. Only in totalitarian countries people are being thrown to jail for their political beliefs. Germany is a state that has many political prisoners in its jails. At the same time, Germany is being considered as one of Americas best allies, with American President believing that there is nothing wrong in shaking hands with German chancellor, who fully supported jailing Ernst Zundel.
Therefore, before we go a long way trying to help political prisoners in China, North Korea or Iran, we should be help such prisoners in Europe first. The fact that people in Western countries are being taught to think of their freedoms as something unnecessary and even dangerous represents a reality check. Our political leaders can talk all they want about tolerance, democracy or peaceful coexistence, but the reality is that there people in democratic countries doing time in jail, simply because they truly believed in the ideals that these political leaders never get tired of promoting around the world. Democracy is not the concept that students are being taught about in colleges and universities, only so that they would forget about it in the next year or two. Democracy needs to be actively practiced on daily basis, because only citizens strong will to protect their essential rights and freedoms guarantees the continuation of cultural, scientific and social progress.
Bibliography: Niemoller, Martin Address to U. S. Congress. 1968. 2002. Rumor Mill News Agency. 15 May 2008.
web Tanzer, Jeff Non-Zionist Jews Denounce Zundel Incarceration. 2007. Range. Com. 15 May 2008. web Weber, Mark Ernst Zundel: Political Prisoner. 19 May 2003. Institute for Historical Review. 15 May 2008. web
Free research essays on topics related to: freedom of speech, rights and freedoms, holocaust survivors, u s congress, people in western
Research essay sample on U S Congress People In Western
