Friday, October 1, 2010
Censorship in Spain
The European Centre for Law and Justice (HT: Volokh) reports on the Spanish government punishing a company for airing a promotional advertisement in defense of the traditional family.
https://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2010/10/censorship-in-spain.html
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It doesn't make the free-speech question go away, but it seems clear to me the ad was anti-homosexual rather than pro-traditional-family.
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The advertisement, however, showed only actual footage of homosexuals marching and dancing in Gay Pride Day parades and asked the simple and poignant questions: “Is this the type of society you want?” Are these the examples you want for your children?” “Proud . . . of what?” The ad also sought to oppose Gay Pride Day by recognizing the 364 other days of pride for heterosexuals.
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I am guessing the footage from the parade was probably the most outrageous they could come up with. I don't see why "Is this the society you want?" is a "poignant" question. Gay pride parades are once-a-year celebrations, not blueprints for everyday society. If somebody showed me a Mardi Gras parade or a Halloween parade and asked me the "poignant" question, "Is this the type of society you want?" I would answer, "No, but I don't think society should be like ANY parade." If my response to Black Pride or the annual New York Puerto Rican Day Parade was, "What are these people proud of?" I don't think anyone would deny it was bigotry.
As I say, the censorship question still exists, and I am not sure where I come down on it, but I don't think you have to trash gay people to support traditional marriage.