4.2.12 WC: 191694 political ends of terrorism. The board has also proved that Redgrave has turned down roles such as that of Andrei Sakharov’s wife in an HBO production because she believed the film might be seen as “anti-Communist propaganda”. Redgrave’s supporters threw a fundraiser for her. I prepared and distributed a leaflet that provided the facts to those attending and urged them to ask Redgrave “to explain her hypocrisy”. Several members of the audience were surprised to learn of her views on blacklisting Israeli artists. Others said they knew of Redgrave’s selective condemnation of blacklisting but didn’t care, because — as one woman put it — “anything is fair in the war against Zionism.”*’ In the end, the case was settled and Redgrave persisted in her hypocrisy. I was comfortable in my role defending her rights while exposing her wrongs. Not everyone understands this distinction. My own mother insisted that I was “helping” Nazis and terrorists when I supported their right to speak, even while condemning what they were saying. Far better educated people than my mother also claimed not to understand. In a debate in Canada on laws criminalizing Holocaust denial, I took my usual position in favor of freedom of speech: I regret to say this, but I think that Holocaust denial speech is not even a close question. There is no persuasive argument that I can think of in logic, in law, in constitutionality, in policy, or in education, which should deny [anyone] who chooses to the right to take whatever position he wants on the Holocaust. The existence of the Holocaust, its extent, its fault, its ramifications, its political use are fair subjects for debate. I think it is despicable for anybody to deny the existence of the Holocaust. But I cannot sit in judgment over the level of despicability of anybody’s exercise of freedom of speech. Of course I agree that sticks and stones can break your bones, and words can harm you and maim you. That’s the price we pay for living