JUSTICE

by Alan Dershowitz

At a time when America is becoming more repressive of personal freedoms in the name of religious fundementalism, a refreshing new documentary about freedom in Holland is playing around the country. It should be required viewing for every hypocritical politician and religious leader who panders to his constituency by invoking the evils of a permissive society.

Holland is the ultimate permissive society. It permits prostitution, pornography, most drug use, suicide, homosexuality, abortion, and virtually every other consenual act between--and among--adults. The Moral Majority regards Holland as a modern-day Sodom, but its sinners have thus far not been punished by fire or brimstone. Here are some of the conclusions reached by the filmmakers:

Though marijuana is openly sold throughout Holland, there is only a 3 percent rate of marijuana use among teens. That's a far lower drug rate than in the United States.
Though all abortions are paid for by the government, the Dutch have the lowest abortion rate in the world.
Though sex education and contraceptive distribution are part of the school curriculum, Holland has the lowest teen-pregnancy rate in the world.
Though they have thriving sex and drug industries, the dutch have the lowest imprisonment rate in the world.

In one particularly telling scene in the film, we see a recruiting ad placed in a gay newspaper by the police reads, "We like young men as much as you do." Imagine such an ad in America! The prize-winning documentary, entitled Sex, Drugs & Democracy, presents a vision of a society that is diametrically opposed to the America advocated by Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, and Newt Gingrich. Dutch society appears to tolerate nearly anything--except guns, environmental pollution, and bigotry. Why, then, is our country--born to freedom and raised on such slogans as Live free or die, Don't tread on me, and Mind your own business--moving away from its historic dedication to "the pursuit of happiness," while other nations, with more puritanical histories, are coming to appreciate more personal liberty? Part of the reason is the unhealthy role that religion has come to play in the political life of this country. Virtually every candidate must be photographed attending church. Billy Graham is a virtual fixture at the White House and no one who hopes to be elected or appointed to high office dares to acknowledge doubt about the existence of God or the literal truth of the Bible.

Because good religion is generally the antithesis of good government--the former regulating private life and beliefs, while the later governs public actions--the merger of church and state poses considerable danger to personal liberty. The crowning irony is that it is precisely those who would have the government most impinge on our liberty who preach most hypocritically--as Gingrich does--that the "government which governs best governs least." Let those who preach this gospel of liberty see Sex, Drugs & Democracy to help them understand how the Dutch practice it. I would love to be the fly on the wall at such a viewing.