Britain’s troops are clearly a tough fighting force, but the country’s political class — much like our’s — seems to lack testicular fortitude. The British government has banned Geert Wilders, a Dutch parliament member and critic of radical Islam, from entering the country. Apparently his speaking his mind is a security risk. The news brought this reaction from a member of the European Parliament:

One Dutch MEP, Maria Martens, welcomed the decision.

“The film has nothing to do with freedom of expression. This freedom does not give the right to offend,” she said.

Wait, what? You have to right to speak your mind as long as it in no way offends others? So anyone can claim to be offended by anything and the offender should be shut up? This phrase “freedom of expression”, Maria, I do not think it means what you think it means.

What exactly did the embassy tell Wilders?

Wilders said the embassy letter informed him he was being refused entry because his views “threaten community harmony and therefore public security” in Britain.

Yes, his criticism of murderers threatens community harmony. The murderers themselves dont, but their critic does. Uh huh.

Allahpundit:

His views don’t threaten public security; the views of his persecutors do. But it’s easier to deal with him than with them, just as it was easier not to run the Mohammed cartoons in American newspapers.

Yep.