The confessed killer in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik, has been in court for his preliminary hearing, in private. The judge appears to have said it was for security reasons. I wonder.
There is a movement in Norway for keeping the whole trial in camera, on the grounds that Mr. Breivik might use the opportunity to promulgate his philosophy, which is correctly regarded as vile. I am wholly against this. Breivik is not on trial for his political views but for killing people: he is (if found guilty) a common criminal, albeit one who is uncommonly evil. We don't even know if he is sane.
The people of Norway and of the rest of the world must not be treated as children. We must be allowed to come to our own conclusions as to Mr Breivik's sanity, philosophy and politics. I am confident the last two will be regarded as mistaken and evil.
But we are not scared of hearing them. We can make up our minds on our own.
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