The fashion world is reeling from the news that Galliano was axed from Dior for his recent anti-Semitic rants.  The more fucked up aspect of this story is Galliano’s possible prosecution by French authorities.Free speech isn’t protected in France the way it is by the First Amendment.  Specifically, French law prohibits public speech or writings that incite racial or religious hatred, or those that deny the Holocaust.  Even though France has one of the most virulent neo-nazi scenes I’ve ever encountered (How many other places do you regularly see graffiti swastikas?), restrictions on speech are never justified even if they are backed by seemingly legitimate public policy.Voltaire said it best, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

While we don’t j’adore Galliano’s bigotry, he should not be jailed for his beliefs and opinions no matter how repugnant.  Leave it to fucking France to bring out a latent patriotic streak.