Blogging and Free Speech

"Blogging became Amer's outlet - and his downfall. When Al-Azhar officials discovered a blogpost criticizing extremist professors, Amer was expelled and his case referred to the public prosecutor."

Kareem Amer was a 22 year old student who was sent to prison because he blogged about the reputation and president of Egypt. Egypt's standard of censorship is much higher than the United States and Europe. Thousands of bloggers would be sent to prison if the same standards applied here. The basic right of free speech is not respected in Egypt. Before where all printing presses were in control, it is now different because anyone can access free blogging services. Anyone anywhere can now be heard like Kareem Amer whose fame did more punishment than good for him.

I think this is awful. Everyone should have the right to free speech. Everyone has their own opinions and has the right to get them out there. People can either respect or not care for what is written but it shouldn't be cause to send someone to prison. They cut off a man's fingers as a warning sign to online writers. Obviously something is wrong if a government is willing to cut off someones fingers so people won't read negative facts about them. Amer was mocked when he wouldn't retract his blogposts. They laughed at the attorney present who was defending his human rights openly making fun of the concept of standing up for individual rights. This is dumb and people who right their opinions on the web should not be sent to prison.