A friend recently told me that, since I’m a lawyer, I should write about legal matters that may be of interest to readers of this column. So, let’s give that a go. This week we will explore what I think are only some of the more interesting “legal” issues that have surfaced around the world in the last week.
First, let’s start in Holland. I’m sad to report that soon, “Let’s go Dutch” may no longer have the same socially acceptable meaning it once did. Last week it was reported that in the Netherlands Dutch pedophiles have now launched a political party of their own to push for a reduction in the legal age for consent to sexual relations for commercial purposes. In other words, they want minors 16 year of age and above to not only be able to engage in non-commercial sex, which they already can do under the law, but also to legally be able to decide for themselves whether to engage in prostitution and/or appear in pornographic films.
Moreover, lest it be said that theirs is a political party with only one platform, this politico-pedophile party – let’s call them the “PPPer’s”, for short – would have you know there are more issues they are concerned about beyond just this one. The PPPer’s also want to: (1) legalize the private possession of child pornography; (2) permit pornography to be broadcast during daytime hours, while they agree that violent pornography should be limited to the late evening (whew!); and (3) legalize sex with animals, while also agreeing to keep in tact those laws now on the books that make the abuse of animals illegal (double whew!!). Isn’t that just super? I don’t know about you, but if that’s not enough to get you to boycott letting anyone put hollandaise sauce on your meat anymore, I don’t know what would be.
Next, we have interesting things happening in Iran … again. Der Spiegel recently interviewed its President, Ahmadinejad, about his views on the Holocaust. Basically, he told the reporter that he didn’t know if it happened or not, largely because until now it has only been investigated by historians who are either controlled, or threatened, by Zionists. The President of Iran says that, before he decides, he wants an “impartial” investigation to be conducted. That, he says, is necessary before the “truth” about these rumors regarding this supposed Holocaust can be known. So far as the continued existence of Israel is concerned, however, it really shouldn’t matter according to him. That is because, if the Holocaust did occur, it would be Europe’s fault and so Israel should be relocated to somewhere in Europe. And, if it didn’t occur, Israel shouldn’t exist at all.
I relay all of this to you now because I believe it provides the proper backdrop for your appreciation of Iran’s newest piece of legislation. Last week the Iranian parliament passed a new law that will require the country’s Jews and Christians to wear colored badges to identify themselves as non-Muslims. If approved by their spiritual leader, it will require Jews to wear yellow patches of cloth on the outside of any garments they wear and Christians to attach a red swatch to their clothing. According to the logic of their President, however, I suppose this should not give us any cause for alarm. If his “impartial” investigation actually reveals that the Holocaust never did really happen, then probably there would also not be any precedent for such a law that really occurred in Europe preceding the mythical Holocaust that might otherwise have given those of us who are not light in the loafers a reason to be alarmed … would there be? Oh, the havoc that is wreaked when twisted logic takes flight. At minimum, such events as these leave me more convinced than ever that, for whatever reason, Ahmadinejad seems determined to skyline himself on the international landscape as a prime candidate for natural de-selection.
Then, last, but not least, for this week’s final interesting legal development we come home to America, the land formed, or should I say formerly, under God. In Delta, Colorado an award winning artist has had to file a federal civil rights lawsuit because she feels two of her paintings had been wrongfully removed from the city’s recreation area. Each was removed because they were inscribed with a Bible verse that city officials were told had “offended” someone. One was a painting of the artist’s granddaughter that was underscored with a verse from Psalms that read, “Children are a heritage from the Lord: A reward from Him.” Can you imagine that?
Well, I’m sure there are some of you out there who are outraged that such language was allowed to be exhibited in public in the first place. Most likely, that is because you are frustrated. You are among the enlightened who believe that Judeo-Christian morals and beliefs – like children being blessings from the Lord – are antiquated, and that, so long as our society permits the public dissemination of such old fashioned ideas, it will only further delay our culture’s embrace of cutting-edge progressive philosophies that are already cherished today elsewhere in the world – like in Holland for instance. For that reason, it seems many progressives have concluded that those who cling to outdated Judeo-Christian notions of morality are nothing less than a roadblock impeding our culture’s development who need to be re-educated. But, that takes time and some progressives don’t want to have to wait until that can be achieved. Therefore, I would not be surprised if, before too long, those who are offended by Judeo-Christian ideas propose doing something along the lines of what Iran is doing. They will argue that, pending the reeducation of such moral dinosaurs, progressives should at least be “entitled” to identify those who offend them. After all, they will say, shouldn’t it be their “right” to know in advance who they should be “entitled” to avoid? … to silence? … to persecute? In fact, it’s the deciding of questions just like that that makes the law interesting, don’t you think?
© 2006 Clifford C. Nichols, Esq.
Cliff Nichols is an attorney practicing criminal defense/entertainment law in Santa Monica, California. He may be contacted regarding this editorial at either (310) 917-1083, cliff@cliffnicholslaw.com or www.cliffnicholslaw.com and you may join his blog at www.thedailystand.com