Letter to The Editor - Not all revisionist historians are neo-Nazis or lovers of authoritarian and militaristic governments

To The Australian        David Icke's views that we are subject to control by an alien "lizard people" does not instil confidence in his rationality, but he should be allowed to visit Australia ("Australia 'top pick for hate preachers'", 20/2). This is because we should firmly protect the principle of authentic free speech in our nation. Nor, for the same reason, should terms like "Holocaust denial" or "anti-Semitic hate preachers" be used to close down dissident arguments about the Nazi period of German history. Not all revisionist historians are neo-Nazis or lovers of authoritarian and militaristic governments; and some of their published research appears to have value. Jewish groups would be wiser to avoid inflamed language and concentrate on calling for careful and gracious discussion of matters that affect their interests and on which they are justified in calling for decent and fair-minded commentary rather than rabble-rousing.
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic