UN: Hate Speach = War Crime

pdxkevin · 12-04-2003, 06:05 AM

The Washington Times printed the following...

Hateful words a war crime
By Betsy Pisik
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

NEW YORK � With a trio of guilty verdicts yesterday, the U.N. tribunal for Rwanda has established that men armed only with words can commit genocide.

Three Rwandan media executives were convicted by the international tribunal of committing and inciting genocide, war crimes and persecution in a case that will set a precedent for the new International Criminal Court.

Their weapons: the government-sponsored radio station known as "Radio Machete" and "Hate Radio" and a weekly newspaper whose agenda was the extermination of the country's Tutsi majority.

The "media trials" marked the first time since Nuremburg that hate speech has been prosecuted as a war crime. It has been one of the most closely watched cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), seated in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha.

"You were fully aware of the power of words, and you used the radio � the medium of communication with the widest public reach � to disseminate hatred and violence," wrote presiding Judge Navanethem Pillay in sentencing to life in prison Ferdinand Nahimana, founder of Radio Television des Mille Collines.

"Without a firearm, machete or any physical weapon, you caused the death of thousands of innocent civilians."

...the rest at the link above.

Could the UN try to charge those in the US talk radio, which is labled "hate radio", with war crimes, too?

12-04-2003, 06:13 AM

The UN might not but I feel that the DNC would if they thought they could pull it off.

They probably could under the Patriot Act

Silver Hilton · 12-04-2003, 07:23 AM

I'm not quite sure I understand your point. You seem to be supporting the right of these people to cheer on the killing a few hundred thousand men, women, and children.

You also seem to imply that the democrats, but not the republicans, would disapprove of people cheering on mass murder, indeed genocide.

I know you meant to insult the democrats, but I think you smeared the decent people in the republican party.

skahorse · 12-04-2003, 07:28 AM

What's ridiculous here is that the UN has any say in anything. They should not be trying people. Period.

The US needs out of the UN!

--Skahorse

skahorse · 12-04-2003, 07:29 AM

And one more thing! The UN prosecutes some guys who talk about and promote killing... But won't go after a man that has killed and would have killed more (Hussein)! What a joke

--Skahorse

12-04-2003, 07:40 AM

SH,
Any politician that can't comprehend the Constitution needs to be voted out.

I only mentioned the Democrats here because they would silence conservative radio.

[ 12-04-2003, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

Silver Hilton · 12-04-2003, 07:47 AM

?????

I've only had my first cup of coffee, but that seems to be a bit of a non-sequitor.

12-04-2003, 07:55 AM

SH,
I'm a bit slow today could you be a bit clearer? I can't post any more on this thread so I will edit this post to help you understand what I am trying to say. I'm addressing the problems we have in our country, NOT the horrible things that the UN allowed to happen in Rwanda, that should have been easy to understand.

Both parties voted for the Patriot Act, both parties voted for the McCain/Finegold Incumbent Reelection Bill, both of these are blatantly unconstitutional (McCain/Finegold was opposed by the ACLU and the NRA).

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are written in English and easy to understand. If a politician can't comprehend the rules that they have to live by they MUST be voted out. No mater what party they belong to. Easy to understand.

SH,
I�m not allowed to use quotes on Life in General but I was addressing the last sentence about "Hate Radio".
All of these criminals in Rwanda need to be convicted and executed. Those in the UN that allowed this to happen need to be tried and jailed.

US politicians that vote for more than two laws that are found to be unconstitutional should be recalled (or tried and jailed). Courts like the 9th court (

the most over ruled court in our country

) need to be investigated and, if they are over ruled too often, impeached(they should be able to read and comprehend the Constitution and not let their politics get in the way)

Dog,
You are completely right. Most voters are lazy and believe the party slogans and propaganda, from both sides.

Comrade El,
You have your head somewhere it doesn't belong (in the sand again) :depressed: If you will note, I have mentioned both political parties as being guilty of ignoring the Constitution. I usually support the Republicans but when they are wrong I will not hesitate to criticize them, unlike some "Party Faithful" and "Comrades" [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

SH,
I agree with what you posted about the people voiting unconstitutionaly and the need to educate the voting public.

LS,
So, are you saying that it's ok to kill off hundreds of thousands of your fellow countrymen because they belong to another ethnic group

? I don�t think it is ok. Do you realy think this is ok?

LS,
I didn't think so. Could you help me to understand what you were refering to? I probably agree with what you were trying to say but it's unclear.

[ 12-04-2003, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

Silver Hilton · 12-04-2003, 08:15 AM

Keta, I understand your point about voting out the politicians that don't support the constitution. I just don't understand what triggered that comment in relation to the original citation. What does the US constitution have to do with the UN war crimes courts?

Straydog · 12-04-2003, 08:19 AM

Voting out politicians because they do not uphold the Constitution or Bill of Rights is not likely to happen given we have an electorate that, for the most part, is not familiar or mindfull of either. Our elected officials are quite aware of this.

[ 12-04-2003, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

El-Kabong · 12-04-2003, 08:26 AM

[ 12-04-2003, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: El-Kabong ]

Silver Hilton · 12-04-2003, 08:32 AM

I was going to make a similar comment. Unconstitutional behavior is pretty popular. If you were to take a vote, I think freedom of speech, freedom of the press, habeus corpus (sp?), and protection from unreasonable search would take some pretty hard hits. Gun ownership would take a pretty hard hit, as well. I also suspect that it would become pretty hard to be a muslim.

While I agree that it should be the duty of the voters to strike down politicians that violate the principles of the constitution, that would require:

a) that voters be educated as to the principles of constitutional law,

b) that voters support principles of constitutional law even when they contradict the voters' own opinions and interests,

c) and last, that voters make it to the polls.

I don't think this mechanism works. Fortunately, the supreme court usually does.

kamloops · 12-04-2003, 08:33 AM

El k,

Boy, I don't think you'r 100% correct.

I remember a topic from a week or so ago
titled "stir it up".

lost_sailor · 12-04-2003, 08:34 AM

I love the way folks are so quick to judge other cultures by "USA" standards.

Believe or not, our country is not the whole world. Maybe you need to get out more, in a non-military situation.

El-Kabong · 12-04-2003, 08:35 AM

[ 12-04-2003, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: El-Kabong ]

kamloops · 12-04-2003, 08:46 AM

EL K

No, I'm just saying I think everyone likes to stir the pot a little.
Hey, if this was not fun no one would bother or waste their time answering these posts. :smile:

lost_sailor · 12-04-2003, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Keta:
LS,
So, are you saying that it's ok to kill off hundreds of thousands of your fellow countrymen because they belong to another ethnic group ? I don�t think it is ok. Do you realy think this is ok?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">ehhh, that would be a "NO".

freespool · 12-07-2003, 08:20 AM

Skahorse,here's a history lesson for ya. Look up the the South Vietnam governments of Tue and Key,and see what these two jokers were up to as far as human rights were concerned. And while your at it look up the Philippine government of Marcos. Now he' a real gem for ya. He killed everyone that opposed his power. These are all governments we the US of A supported,knowing full well that human rights violations were occuring. Attacking Iraq by ourselfs only aliented us from most of the free world. I feel this was a mistake and history is in the process of proving me right.

free

lost_sailor · 12-07-2003, 09:10 AM

Let's invade Rwanda. That'll teach old Osama to mess with US.

happybrew · 12-07-2003, 08:02 PM

LS: I say we invade Tahiti! I'm sure there are a lot of troops who would love to occupy that country! It would certainly be a harship assignment.

Pdxkevin: I'm not sure what your point is. Radio stations are communications centers. By engaging in and facilitating communication directly connected with genocide, they directly participated in the genocide there. Goebels was guilty, they're guilty. Free speech does not include shouting fire in a crowded theater. What they did was much worse than that. They incited, coordinated, and facilitated genocide. They are as guilty as a Serbian general who merely directed people on where to go, but never bloodied his own hands. I say let 'em fry.

happybrew