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14 July 2007
Foul language in English has been penalised in Leeuwarden
Saina van Breda reported in Elsevier's online bulletin 12 July that a man was convicted in a Leeuwarden court for 'insulting a policeman'. The man in question shouted to the policeman 'f... you' and 'f... your mother'.
One is left speechless. The conviction for gross insult of a policeman in his more than difficult and unenviable task is understandable enough. But I don't mean that.
Don't the Dutch have enough filthy and objectionable words to suffice, you may ask? Of course, they do. During the last fifty years the Dutch have developed and refined their stock of filthy abusive and insulting words. Indeed, they have made it something of an art. Why then the need to reach outside their own language? The answer is that it is a part of the incomprehensible Dutch mentality - incomprehensible for those outside the Dutch language block, I mean.
It has to do with their ideas of personal freedom. It seems you can't be free, ensure the right of free speech, unless you can deploy, totally unrestrained, the most objectionable language. In particular, the young feral male - as big a scourge in Dutch society as in Australia - must be protected in his right to direct non-stop abuse at the very people who have the duty to protect the ordinary person. The Leeuwarden court must be congratulated for having the courage to take some commonsense action. How effective that will be in the long run remains to be seen. There are awesome forces lined up against that little court.
Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com