Monday, May 25, 2009

Holocaust Denial on Facebook

Facebook’s latest highly charged political issue & American philosophical debate has pretty widely covered around the web. Facebook doesn’t allow college drunken breasts on their site but Holocaust deniers are considered free speech. Is “pornography” AKA exposed human body parts that are no problem in any country outside the prudish formerly Evangelically Christian run USA a worse offense that allowing your site to be a home for deniers of what 99.9% of the world consider a absolute historical fact and travesty?

I may be a bit bias on this front since I have a Holocaust surviving grandparent (although I did not get to see the any of the genocide first hand since I couldn’t be the grandson as well as survivor of The Third Reich).  Holocaust denial is a pretty ludicrous endeavor.  I was unable to find an official quote from FDR, but FDR sis make a a statement that there was a need to document the camp so people couldn't try to disprove the atrocities that occurred there yet some people will never be convinced. (Usually I'd put a link here to a holocaust denial site but I want no part of giving traffic or credence to any site of that ilk.)

When I think about "free speech"/ 1st amendment issues, Holocaust denial seems to be the ultimate test.  American prides itself on allowing an openness in all manners of public forums (except for the quirky fire in a crowded theater conundrum) yet is full of hate crime and anti-gay legislation that incurs further punishment when these topics are broached.  As a 20-something average American man, my issues with nudity that is primarily that there should be more of it from attractive ladies but could do without other forms (but that is preference not mandate).  Trying to maintain Holocaust denial as fact could be more closely construed as libel against an atrocity, a people, and their homeland. 

So what does as this pussyfoot mean for the Facebook groups?  It means while I can't  fathom the true reasoning behind it, if people want to maintain a cluster of thinking in this vein, it should be allowed but maybe they should allow for an opposing group to post on the group as well with their contrarian mainstream view/proof of the Holocaust but then you would have to give the deniers the same right on the other side.  

Facebook is a perfect location for this kind of dialogue because while the average teenager has probably never watched a daily newscast, they can't go a few hours without logging into their Facebook and check on their friends.  It would be nice to see Facebook to evolve into a place where passionate people can express intelligent views rather than monotonous tedious updates of music quotes, insider jokes, & annoying quiz updates. 

If Facebook can do that, then truly it will have arrived a s a true social networking site, it will become a culture.  It will become an cafe in pairs in the 18th century where issues were discussed and fleshed out by leaders of thought rather than the internet personification of a nightclub or of young people being over-revealing of their personal lives while shouting down a well where no one will hear them.

So go ahead deniers, enjoy your group but it don't be upset when more people laugh at you then when you were on the fringes because no matter what, the more mainstream the idiocy comes to light, the more heat it will be under.  Having these hate groups could lead lead to ultimate undoing... and bring on more college party breasts. ----------------
Related Articles

Facebook, breasts - no; Holocaust denial groups - yes. (Adotas)
Facebook confirms removal of two Holocaust denial groups (CNET)
Holocaust Denial (Wikipedia)

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