First off, very good quote and important quote, AK! Who coined it? That personage deserves to be credited :-)

Speaking of the recent very un-democratic move by the Dutch government to ban Martijn... this is a common setback during the type of situation we are in. Ironic setbacks when scientific evidence in favor of the oppressed group in question happens to be mounting, and when offline support orgs for them are just beginning to appear, are not uncommon. They are actually signs of desperation from the opposition, and are indicative of last ditch attempts to thwart freedom of discussion when said discussions are no longer going in favor of the status quo.

This is why the right to freedom of speech is our most valued right, and precisely why it's the first right to be crushed by governments during war time, moral panics, and other crises that necessitate the government closing off the right to reasoned discussion in order to preserve a faltering status quo.

Remember to never give into despair or hopelessness, because this is just what the opposition wants. Being forced into silence is their greatest weapon against us. This is also the reason why the anti orgs used to work so hard to "out" members of our community during the heyday of their power over the previous decade, because they saw that this act unfortunately resulted in those of us who were outed to flee the community and go into permanent "hiding." I'm sure Martijn's lawyer will continue to fight this, and we must always remain steadfast against attacks on the principles of the First Amendment no matter what the excuse that the government gives to suppress it.

This incident also proves yet again that moral crusades are not compatible with principles of democracy, just as wars aren't.