Expatica's new editor finds coping with letters to the editor more difficult than she first imagined, especially the ignoble kind.

 Working for newspapers for years, I certainly enjoyed my share of letters from readers. Some raved about an article, others berated me for one thing or another. A few would offer me tips and many just shared a personal story. Occasionally, someone would ask me to break them out of prison or help them with alien invaders.

I have to admit that I really enjoy letters from readers. They show me I am not writing in a vacuum, that someone out there is reading what I write, that there is a connection between reporter and reader, a community of sorts.

Taking over the editorship of Expatica has been a completely new experience, though. I get many more letters through this website than I ever have through newspapers. It has been an interesting experience and I have to admit, I have never felt so close to readers. But it has also created a dilemma, one unique, I believe, to someone who writes about Germany and has editorial control over a medium covering it: I'll call this the 'crazy letters syndrome.'

I have never before received the amount of letters from people I consider certifiably insane as I do these days. These are often rants on a variety of topics, most often the Holocaust.

These often come in reaction to stories I post on current debates such as Germany's attempt to make Holocaust denial a crime across the EU (it already is in countries such as Germany, Austria, France and now Italy).

Hence the dilemma. You see, I have never had to make decisions on which letters to print and which to throw out. At newspapers, there is always a separate department that handles this.

I have to admit, my first reaction is not to print these letters. Most newspapers and online magazines do not print comment they deem even remotely offensive. But that started me thinking about censorship. I certainly print letters with opinions that I don't agree with. Who am I to deem something unprintable just because I (and I know others) find it offensive or just plain stupid? Sometimes I think that I, as a gatekeeper, am sanitizing the website for my readers, something I would never do in a story. Maybe it is even being a bit paternalistic.

I asked colleagues of mine at various publications what they thought. Most said, absolutely not, that they would not print such letters. They are too offensive, some said. Others added that doing so would bestow legitimacy on such people and their views – they would not waste the space. One journalist wondered if I could get into trouble because expressing such opinions is, in some cases, illegal in Germany.

So Dear Readers, I am going to compromise this time around by posting excerpts of such letters here rather than in the Readers Response section and let you tell me what you think an editor should do, what you as a reader think of such letters.

Before I do, I want to say two things: I absolutely unconditionally do not agree with the views expressed in these letters and neither does Expatica; this is a one-time deal, to generate a discussion. I am printing them without any editing, including for spelling or grammar although I am taking some of the most offensive parts out. I want you to see, for the most part, exactly what they are.

Here we go.

This one is in response to a column by my predecessor, called Comment: Why German authorities have the wrong end of the swastika. It is from Franz Kindler. It is milder than most and at least he knows how to spell.

"The article by David Gordon Smith about NSDAP symbols, particularly the swastika, reads like something out of 1984. We have our political correctness here in America but this repression of symbols in Germany is about as Orwellian as you can get. Rather than repressing thought and expression of ideas that some German citizens hold, the German government should be doing something about the mass hordes of Mohammadens flooding into their country. Germany used to be a great nation until its downfall in 1945. Ironically, the downfall of Germany was but a foreshadowing of things to come: Cold War, New World Order, ongoing destruction of Western Civilization through massive influx of invading alien hordes worldwide with its accompanying diseases and cultural upheavals, to name a few. In light of these unpleasant realities of today, If Mr. Smith has nothing more to worry about than swastikas (real or ersatz), I suggest that this misguided man and others of his ilk wake up and get a life."

This rant is from Joanne Marie Christie, located in the US. I wonder if her caps lock key is sticky. But that is certainly not her only problem.

"I am TOTAL agreement with Iran on EVIDENCE of the jews that were slaughtered! I dont believe it! Now if you know history, WW 1 was a take over of MONARCHY MONEY! That is why THEY KILLED MY COUSINS IN Russia! Now this war was started by theNAZI'S! And it continued when the German veterans returned home to find that EVERYTHING WAS OWN AND CONTROLLED BY THE JEWS! The JEWS DIDNT GO OR SEND THEIR KIDS to fight! Now my grandmother Queen Victoria the first was German! Where is all that money?? It is going to ISRAEL! Europeans are losing all the GOLD! Now the STOCK MARKET was a TOTAL ILLUSION of NEW FOUNDMONEY! And most of the German leaders are products of Eugenics compliments of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! If you dont believe me askSTEINMEISTER OR MERKLE FOR A DNA SAMPLE! It is almost half animal!"

I really had to laugh at the last two sentences, I admit. Anyway, this letter gets much worse and I am not printing these parts. Suffice it to say that this rant goes on to say that Hitler was right and that it was sad he lost the war.

"THE JEWS are controlling everything! And keeping people stupid! INTENTIONALLY! I mean they KNOW HOW TO DO PHYSICS AND GO THROUGH TIME! I PROMISE! I PROMISE I AM NOT AFRAID TO DIE."

I can't make up stuff like that.

Here is another from "Krapotkin" in Houston, Texas. He likes to show off his knowledge of Russian and math.

"What an arrogance for Germany's Government to protest Iran's right to investigate the Holocaust Industry and its excuse for the creation of the cancer that is the Zionist/JewishState. I understand that 12 years of Nazi rule, are heavy on German Conscience, but I believe you are over doing it, by giving official credence that Hitler managed to murder 6million Jews in four years (that's 125000 per month), while fighting on three fronts, is almost seems miraculous. Lets start by investigating, where did Hitler located 6 million Jews in occupied Europe?
Privet!"

Meanwhile, Rose writes from an undisclosed location that the Holocaust did exist but was not a mistake.

"first of all the HOLOCAUST was not a mistake as anyone with german blood in them knows.Back then the jews had this proud self richious attitude about them.Well they don’t know do they?All of us true germans will never think of the HOLOCAUST as a mistake. And any german that ever speaks the words"it was a mistake" should not even have the honer of having true german blood in them."

I admit, I have a hard time taking someone with an internet handle called "sugarnympho1" seriously and remained unfazed such a person can't spell and seemingly doesn't understand rudimentary punctuation or capitalization.

One of my regular and most prolific writers, Constantine Grudesen, seems to have a lot of time on his hands. In one letter, he complained that I only give bad press to the rightwing. It's nice to have such a devoted reader. I just hope the reading of the website helps his spelling.

"What about the trouble maker,s the left wing, we never hear much of the trouble they cause in Germany. It,s always the right wing, that get written up in most German news papers and the media. Why is this?? What is expaticas opinion???"

In another email, he tries out revisionist history.

"The story, about the meeting in IRAN about the holocaust, Why can,t we ask questions, about what took place, in these camps??? I BELIEVE that the camps were work, place,s. that the last year of the war , people died of starvation, and tyfoid, the bdies we all saw in the news reels, ccccould not be cremated, for lack of fuel, the war also was not being fought ,to extermenate Jews. There also were no gas chambers, at these camps. Experts
have checked that out. free speach, abot this subject, in Austria & Germany, you can land in jail. Which is wrong, we all look for truth, and speak about the so called HOLOCAUST."

In a third, he bemoans a chipping away at freedom of speech and a "suppression" of what happened to Germans after WWII.

"When will Germany, drop the holocaust crap, by not alowing any one from giving their opinion, or daubts about the, holocaust, is taking away your freedom of speach. The past 60 years , we have been listning to this bull crap. The real holocaust, was what happened to Germany after the war was, over. The German Goverment, never mentions this."

I also get some strange letters that most wouldn't print on other topics besides the Holocaust. Here is one from William R. Casey who says he is a "Professional Engineer." Maybe that is why he doesn't know how to use spellchecker.

"Germany would be well served to study the underclass in America and the reasons it is growing out of control: Unskilled immigrants unable to contribute to the workforce High birthrate among immigrants who have no means to support the children Degredation of the public school system due to downgrading acedemic standards and lack of discipline in the classroom. Allowing bilingual language to advance. There are many others but Germany has a place to look to avoid America's mistakes."

And then there are those letters I can't even judge because I simply don't understand them. This is one from "suleyman Tosun" with an Internet address based in the UK in response to US urges EU not to rule out Turkish membership. It made my head hurt. Good luck.

"I like to let you Point out few things add to your story. I know that Helios Airline planes (which crashed last year in Greece) is Cypriot owned and and has flown to Istanbul from Cyprus with a Cypriot Flag many occations. The only airline which is stat owned is Cyprus Airways this does not fly over turkey and Easy JEt ovner is Greek Cypriot . The otherthing I like to point out is was Turkish Cypriots made Isolated by greek cypriots during 1963 this is very important:

*Did the greek cypriots Arrest the Turkish Cypriot Police officers of the same
Cypriot police force.

*Did the Greek Cypriot guard force Turkish Cypriot PIK speakers run for their lives during broadcast in 1963.

*Did the Greek Cypriots took over the running of all the sea and air ports of CYPRUS after from 1960 to 1963.

*Did The Greek Cypriots Hijack and Kill 500 Turkish Cypriots from 1963 to 1974

*Did They Burn bodies Live in front of public and present of UN TROOPS

*Did They do Genocide like killing children of the same school including their teacher and Mothers and GRand mothrers sisters of villeages between 1963-1974?

*When Did Turkish Cypriots started to Become a Refugee before 1974 or
after 1963?

So There is so many things hidden in under the carpet as withnesses to so many otrociteis that happened in my town LARNACA which is in the south of Cyprus is horror. Our neighbur got kidnapped who was working for the Brittish Forces and him and his collegues 11 altogether was missing for more than 40 years last month UN Found their remains inside a villeage in voroklini near LARNACA .Who is going to pay the fine for the unjust? The mass graves of all the Turkish Cypriot man of two villeages which greek army took DOKNI AND ZIGI took Is still to be handed to their families The attack of KOFINIUE Vileage where The Greek Cypriot Guard Burned Live Turkish Cypriot villeage was done by Greek cypriots in 1968?.During 1968 UN Gives right for GREECE TO Send GREEK TROOPS TO Bring peace and order to cyprus.The Greek Troops which came to bring peace over thrown the Archbisops Government during 1974. Who was the Dictator General who over thrown the Greek Government in Greece His name is General Papadoupulos . IsGeneral Papadoupulos relation to the President Papadoupulos?"

So Dear Reader, what do you think?

In the 18th century, French philosopher Voltaire once said that "I might not agree with what you say but I will fight to the death for your right to say it."

I agree. I think Germany and other countries go too far in trying to forbid and even criminalizing certain types of speech. In the US, we have another way to suppress offensive sentiments: people that say such things often face boycotts, protests and other non-legal methods of censure.

That is a better and more effective way.

Having said that, I am not inclined to publish such letters, not only because they might offend some people but because they offend me, for a variety of reasons ranging from vileness to just pure stupidity and insanity.

I suppose people are entitled to their views, even racist ones. I mostly just feel sorry for such people because they miss out on the richness of a world full of variety and instead, live in one of ignorance and a lack of education, as these letters so loudly scream.

Still, I just can't swallow Holocaust denial. The massacre of millions of Jews is too well documented. Even its Nazi perpetrators didn't try to deny it.

Regardless, there is power in the pen and I am using it this time to show these letters in all their ignominious glory, to start a debate and maybe, I'll admit, just to humiliate a little bit, if possible.

What else is a poor editor to do? You tell me.