Freedom+and+Tolerance+in+the+Netherlands

Article 7 of the Dutch constitution says we have the right to freedom of speech. Of course I consider this as a good thing and an important right for the inhabitants of any country in the world. Compared to some countries which eliminate inhabitants who do not fully approve their government, we are obviously far ahead. Still I do think there are certain things we will have to change about our constitution, and above all about our right to freedom of speech, since especially this ‘right’ seems to be abused very often. The freedom of speech can sometimes lead to intolerance. This is exactly what is going on in the Netherlands right now. A male politician named Geert Wilders has made a lot of fuss all over the world by releasing his anti-Islam film Fitna. Earlier he claimed that he wanted to cut the non-discrimination act, one of the inhabitant’s most important rights, according to human rights organisation UNICEF. Geert Wilder has gained millions of Muslim haters by calling the Koran ‘the Islamic Mein Kampf’, after Hitler’s anti-Jews book from 1927. If you ask me, Wilders himself is the one who follows Hitler’s ideas, which already were ridiculous by that time, but I think you are a lunatic if you still consider the Caucasians as ‘the only good people’.  Like I said, I fully approve the right to freedom of speech, but I do think we will have to be more careful with our anti-discrimination policy. If someone, for example Geert Wilders insults a believer, gay person or what so ever, we must act very toughly and do everything to get this person punished.