Marquel, TPVs NYTimes French Free Speech correspondent, was moping around the office, depressed about the poor response to his first movie review.
“Tedious,” they said.
They were right, but did that mean it was wrong not to see the movie before writing a review? No, he was convinced it was his writing not his method–which assured that his review wouldn’t be prejudiced by anything he saw in the movie itself. Depressed, he turned to the Times and saw this story: French Police Question Boy, 8, After Remarks on Paris Attacks.
The authorities said the boy was questioned after he refused to observe a minute of silence for victims and later defended the men who attacked the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Now, wasn’t this something? Everybody suis Charlie for free speech, and now the French are forcing people not only not to wear certain things, but they have to mourn the deaths, whether mournful or not, and even sing the Marseillaise!
Marquel thought that was going too far. Was this free speech or is it really Islamaphobia? Marquel chose the latter. And he was sad. What’s going on with the French? Do they know what freedom is? Isn’t it at least to refuse to stand up for a moment of silence? The French are teaching their children authoritarianism, not freedom. Liberté, Fraternité, Égalité, et Silence. Not very revolutionary.
Marquel got in touch with the flic and the magistrate who cornered this poor boy and harassed him over his beliefs, certainly acquired from his family.
“What is the point of forcing this boy to be silent for 60 seconds when he isn’t sorry?” I asked.
“We believe that moment of silence will prevent him from becoming a terrorist,” said the policeman.
“A terrorist cannot attack or bomb silently. They must shout ‘Allah Achbar’ just before attacking. They always do. So we are teaching them silence. Silence, no terrorism. Shouting, terrorism.” he said.
The magistrate interrupted, saying, “It is our national anthem. Surely it has to be learned and sung.”
The flic took that one. “First when you’re singing you can’t shout Allah Achbar. And when you’re singing Le Marseillaise, it’s impossible.” He said. “Prevents terrorism.”
“We are dealing in probabilities,” said the magistrate, “not certainties or likelihoods.”
“Aha!” Exclaimed the flic. “It is so obvious. If that man had been silent for sixty seconds he would not be confined now. If he had been singing the Marseillaise, he would be a free man.”
“We believe in it fiercely. We can’t always allow it to take over,” said both together.
Marquel, this is complicated. The Times says that the boy told the teacher:
Shall they go back? That’s the problem. They have no place to go back.
You made the story funny. Well done, bro.
The French are, as we say back home, foutus
fucked…funny
funny story
I don’t see the complication. It’s an eight year old boy, unarmed, bombless. This is exactly the kind of speech that needs protection. We’ve had that speech protected in the US for over sixty years since the supreme court struck down the Smith act. The court said speech advocating violence is protected speech. And they emphasized that uncomfortable speech is what is protected and that if only comfortable speech was protected you wouldn’t need the first amendment. Simple, not complicated. Of course I believe movie reviews shouldn’t be compromised by seeing the movie.