Freedom comes with responsibilities….
Lately I am more and more astonished when I read and hear the news.
This weekend on the walls of our Palace in Amsterdam someone wrote “Fuck de Koning”. I guess there is no need in translating these words into English…. Well maybe I need to add that “de Koning” means “the King”. This was presumably to support a fellow Dutchman who shouted these words “Fuck de Koning, Fuck de Koningin, Fuck het Koningshuis” last year when he was demonstrating for a “Zwarte Piet-Discussion” arrested doing so. His lawyer announced his client would be 
charged for offending the King. In stead of a community speaking out there disgust on someone ruining the outer walls of the Palace a discussion started wether it is allowed to say something like this… People say that article 111 “Insulting the King” is outdated and is not according to the “Freedom of Speech” from our Constitution.
Last week there was an attack at a exposition of Mohammed-cartoons near Dallas-Texas in America, IS claimed the attack. The meeting was attended by Geert Wilders. A Dutch politician who made it his lifework to ‘fight’ the Islam with all he can. He will not leave any possibility unused to spread his word on Anti-Islam. Walking a thin line and claiming his “Freedom of speech” to do so. Even stronger, claiming the Islam is the enemy of our Freedom (of Speech). Among some of his statements are:
- “I want less Moslims in The Netherlands” – Belgium newspaper Feb 9th 2008
- “The Dutch culture is 1000 times better then the Islam” – Dutch newspaper Nov. 9th, 2006
- “I will tear down Islamic schools, because I believe they are dangerous, fascist institutions where young children are being grown up in an ideology of hate, intolerance and violence” – Swedish interview 13th of July 2009 (this particulair passage can be found at 3.24minutes)
Early 2015 the Hebdo-shooting accured. An heartless attack on people working at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Let me state I do not agree on the shooting and killing of more then 10 people in the name of Allah. Shooting people is not an answer to any aggression in general. Right after the shooting people started shouting “Je suis Charlie”, to show there support to the victims and the satiric newspaper Charlie Hebdo. My answer was “Je ne suis pas Charlie”. I am, and I state that again, against the shooting, but I am also against the freedom of speech they (Charlie Hebdo and many others) claim to use…
I believe in Freedom, I strive for Freedom every day. I think Freedom is an ultimate way of living. I believe freedom will bring out the best in everybody. Freedom in your every day lives results in the best choices for you and your family. Freedom in your works results in the best results in your job.
Freedom will result in happiness BUT this all will only happen unless…………… it comes with responsibilities!!!
Freedom does NOT give people the right to offend others. It does NOT give people the right to hurt the other person in any way. Insulting people, groups or (certain) believes are NOT messages of FREEDOM they are messages of SUPPRESSION. Because….
- When we offend other people in any way, we suppress them to our own thoughts, to our own believes….
- When we insult someones believe by drawing horrific cartoons on their leader, we suppress them to our own believes….
Freedom comes with responsibilities, use them wisely!!!
Let me close with a saying from Abraham Lincoln:
