Oh those French! They are so very sophisticated, capable of seeing nuance, and making fine distinctions that we crude Yankees could never appreciate. For example, in the realm of hate speech, calling someone a 'dirty Jew' is not really hate speech. Because the expression has become so common in France these days, it is really just comparable  to calling someone a 'jerk,' as Olivier Guitta reported in these pages just three days ago.

But a French court has just ruled that Brigette Bardot's lament over the "Islamization of France" and the "underground and dangerous infiltration of Islam" make her guilty of 'inciting racial hatred,' with an accompanying fine of US$ 6,000.

Yes, the French can see many things invisible to the rest of us. Things such as 'the glory of France' and French moral standing.

Hat tip to Max

Posted by Thomas   06 10 04