| By Gavin Chait,
on 21 May 2007
|
 Don't tell me what to do! A few examples from her opus of quotes: - On US mediation in the ongoing Palestinian Israeli conflict: "The ID believes that the US is a threat to the independence of the judiciary and has a selective foreign policy that is destabilising the whole Middle East. The US has no respect for the rule of law."
- On being asked a question by a member of an opposition party at an official ID press conference: "This question smells of the DA ... I am straight with everybody, but no one will come here and instruct me what I should do." The questioner was then expelled from the meeting.
- On hearing that Tony Yengeni, a disgraced ANC politician, had just been released early from jail for good behaviour, "It is disgusting that Tony Yengeni has served such a short term."
She is a fond exponent of the right to free speech. At least, as far as her rights are concerned. So, what is she all in a lather about now?
"We recently came across a blog with slanderous comments about a famous rugby player, a respected reverend in the church and a prominent entertainer. This blog also included one of our senior politicians, Councillor Simon Grindrod. He reported this matter to the Caledon Square police on Tuesday 15 May and they are currently investigating it,’ says De Lille. De Lille makes no reference to a particular website but, updating this article, a potentially fictitious blog run by a self-proclaimed male ex-prostitute claims that ID councillor Simon Grindrod was a client of his. A complaint of slander has been laid by Grindrod and the law should take its course. But, to ensure that the press pick up on the story, de Lille has gone further by demanding that the government look into, "urgently implementing legislation that will regulate MXIT and Internet blogging, where members of the public can with impunity slander and defame individuals and organisations they do not like." "Can" – note that word. Not "do", "can". Now, without proving that anything illegal is taking place on MXit or the Internet de Lille launches forth, "We are already struggling to repair the social fabric of our society, and to tolerate a platform for this kind of sexual predation and deviance against our young children is inexcusable. The right to freedom of expression is not absolute." Any tool that allows communication allows all communication; good and bad, constructive and destructive. That is not the fault of the medium, but the responsibility of those who use it. By going so far as to deny the right to free speech De Lille questions the basis of the very society we live in. Ms de Lille, let me state this clearly: the proof of belief in freedom of speech is not that we tolerate that freedom being exercised by people who agree with us; it is, rather, that we tolerate that freedom being exercised by those for whom we have nothing but contempt and where their every statement makes us spit bile. Behind anyone who questions free speech lurks the demon of autocracy and dictatorship. The right to freedom of expression must be an absolute for we can trust no-one to decide for others where that line should be drawn. |
