Germany Wants Holocaust Denial a Crime For EU

I've read quite a bit over the past few years about Nazi Germany, in particular, the Holocaust. Perhaps it's because I'm still trying to make sense that something like it could have happened so recently, when it sounds like something that could have happened during the Dark Ages. So, I've got a pretty good idea about what happened and such, and I believe Holocaust Deniers are some of the most screwed up people in the world, even more than fundamentalist Christians. Nevertheless, I am quite disturbed by the news that Germany is trying to push for a law to make Holocaust denial illegal in the entire European Union, as it is now in Austria and Germany-

Germany wants to use its European Union presidency to push through legislation that would make denying the Holocaust punishable by stiff prison sentences in all 27 of the union's member states.

Germany's justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, said Thursday night that Germany's commitment to combating racism and xenophobia — and keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive — was both an enduring historical obligation and a present-day political necessity.

Now, don't get me wrong. I can only imagine the guilt and burden that Germany must still carry as a nation, so I don't think there are bad intentions behind it. However, the civil libertarian in me truly believes that true freedom protects the dumb stuff, too. As much as I'd love to never hear a fundamentalist spew his hatred and ignorance again, I would still defend their right to do it to the end. Besides, sometimes it takes hearing this kind of garbage to fully realize how nuts the people proposing it are in the first place. It seems like Italy is one of the major holdouts on this, so hopefully it won't happen. We've got enough bullshit to deal with here in the U.S. in regards to totalitarianism and a loss of civil rights. I may have to move to Europe someday, and I don't want that to happen there, either.