Danish Ambassador to the U.S.
Sir —
This afternoon I happily and thankfully received news of the acquittal of Lars Hedegaard, for the wrongly alleged crime of hate speech. This is a definite step in the correct direction.
Nevertheless, there remains a serious question on the unjust prosecution and conviction of MP and pastor Jesper Langballe on the same absurd hate speech charge — for daring to speak in Lars Hedegaard’s defense.
Again, MP Langballe’s prosecution represents an assault against a basic human right embedded in Denmark’s long history, its constitution, and the United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights — to free speech. It also represents a stratospheric level of hypocrisy.
As a freedom lover, I also ask again: why has your public prosecutor, so far as I’m aware, never suggested charging the rabble rousers who incited riots in Denmark — and globally — after Jyllands Posten courageously published a series of satirical political cartoons. More importantly, how does Denmark continue to allow the same vile persons to blast Jew-hatred and hatred of all non-Muslims throughout your country by all available means.
Despite the excellent decision in the Hedegaard case, Denmark’s actions still leave an unfortunate ring of dead silence on that major score — which has already caused manifold injuries, property damage and deaths.
I cannot yet excuse Denmark from prosecuting truth-tellers, the real victims — while letting totalitarian Islamic hatemongers continue with impunity, loudly and publicly seek global imposition of sharia law. If Denmark has laws prohibiting sedition, I would encourage their strict enforcement. Such incitements are not a question of free speech — but one of public welfare and national security. I have not yet recaptured the love for your nation instilled in me by a generous family of Grena potters in summer 1969.
In any case, Denmark would be wise to resume fighting beasts at their core, as during World War II.
Firstly, that would require vacating the conviction of MP and pastor Langballe.
Secondly, it demands that Denmark rescind the ridiculous statute that allows your nation to cave in to sharia libel laws. (For the sake of sanity, we must assume that Danish legislators passed this dreadful statute into law not realizing the terrible consequences that would ensue.)
However, as I indicated last week, if ever sharia engulfs Europe, Denmark and Scandinavia would succumb — and your government fall to said radicals. Such a terrifying event would destroy forever the very notion of human rights and free speech in your nation and far beyond.
Fortunately, Denmark yet remains its own nation.
Therefore, please, sir, convey to Denmark’s leaders the necessity of reversing their cowardly current course. Rather than prosecute courageous souls who, in today’s poisonous and dangerous politically correct environment, dare to speak truth (at the grave risk of bodily harm or death), let Denmark seize control of its own affairs, prosecute hate mongers whose manifold incitements to riots and murder will otherwise bury you all alive — and establish firmly in the sand a line that you will not allow unelected rule-purveying EU officials to cross.
I beg that you help Denmark renew its courage and fortitude in the face of a sinister onslaught against the entire free world.
Sincerely yours —
Alyssa A. Lappen
Investigative journalist and poet
http://www.alyssaalappen.org
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Alyssa A. Lappen
Alyssa A. Lappen is a U.S.-based investigative journalist. She is the former Managing Editor at the Leeb Group (2012-2017); a former Senior Fellow of the American Center for Democracy (2005-2008); and a former Senior Editor of Institutional Investor (1993-1999), Working Woman (1991-1993) and Corporate Finance (1991). She served six of her 12 years at Forbes (1978-1990) as an Associate Editor. Ms. Lappen was also a staff reporter at The New Haven Register (1975-1977). During a decade as a freelance, her work appeared in Big Peace, Pajamas Media, Front Page Magazine, American Thinker, Right Side News, Family Security Matters, the Washington Times and many other Internet and print journals. Ms. Lappen also contributed to the Terror Finance Blog, among others. She supports the right of journalists worldwide to write without fear or restriction on politics, governments, international affairs, terrorism, terror financing and religious support for terrorism, among other subjects. Ms. Lappen is also an accomplished poet. Her first full-length collection, The Minstrel's Song, was published by Cross-Cultural Communications in April 2015. Her poems have been published in the 2nd 2007 edition of Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust and both 2007 issues of Wales' award-winning Seventh Quarry: Swansea Poetry Magazine. Dozens of her poems have appeared in print and online literary journals and books. She won the 2000 annual Ruah: A Journal of Spiritual Poetry chapbook award and has received a Harvard Summer Poetry Prize and several honorable mentions.