Nakoula Basseley's Distasteful Movie Still Deserves Free Speech

          I personally do not agree with the insulting content that the filmmaker has chosen to put forth in his upcoming movie, but I feel that he deserves to create his film under the same protection as any other filmmaker who has the privilege of free speech. Glenn Greenwald’s comment that, “Free speech is intended to protect-to foster- exactly those ideas that are most offensive, most provocative,” is exactly the belief that our country was founded upon. I am not surprised by the White House’s request to You Tube to remove the video, just disappointed. The government has no right to interfere in having the video removed, because if it was taken down, what would be next? It’s a slippery slope, and it will open the door for future attacks on freedom of speech and censorship, and those future times it will be on a much less controversial issue. The U.S. government is trying to do the very same thing they are accusing Libya and other countries of doing, which is using the video and the reactions to push their own agendas.

            I stated in an earlier discussion that Assange has the right to publish documents, and even though he has angered our government, the U.S. officials have no right or basis for pursuing legal charges. Like Assange, Nakoula Basseley has the right to produce and distribute his movie, as vile as I think it is. Greenwald is right in stating that we can’t claim to be supporters of freedom of speech when it best suits us, but instead have to accept that we will have to embrace ideas and images we find reprehensible and disgusting. I think it’s interesting that the BBC article states that the actors have already distanced themselves from the movie, citing that they had no clue as to what the filmmaker was actually producing.  I’m sure from fear of the forthcoming backlash.

            I think that it is sad and disturbing that people have lost their lives over this irreverent video, but if we allow our government and other countries to determine what can be produced and what should be censored, we will ultimately be the ones that have lost.