The alternative to free speech leads to dictatorship

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
The alternative to free speech leads to dictatorship

Re: "'Anything goes' is the philosophy that led us to the Holocaust", Letters, January 22.

Guy Baker is a dangerous man. He uses heady phrases such as “visceral, thoughtless pseudo-philosophy” to confuse and twist the truth. “Hitler was thoughtless”? I have a flash for you, Guy: Hitler knew exactly what he was doing. He inflamed the basic mistrust of Jews in Germany to consolidate power and then went about exterminating them for a variety of reasons – some known only to him, some obvious, such as coveting their property.
It is sick for you to equate Hitler with people who want freedom of speech.
It is true that many people abuse the right of free speech in order to shock others and gain notoriety. This is sad, but the alternative to free speech is not acceptable. It leads to dictatorship.
You seem to be quite adept at insulting people who don’t agree with you. That being the case, I should have the same right. It is one thing not being a nice man, but not being a nice man, having advanced education and being devious is a little scary. It kind of reminds me of Hitler.
John Arnone
Yasothon