Gregorius Nekschot is a controversial cartoonist in The Netherlands who “is known primarily for cartoons mocking Muslims and leftists” according to an MSNBC report sent to us by niassa.  Last week, he was arrested by Dutch police for violating hate speech laws.  A spokesperson for the police said “We suspect him of insulting people on the basis of their race or belief, and possibly also of inciting hate.”

While Nekschot’s cartoons are non-English, you can probably tell from the one posted above why he may draw the ire of some.  But, his cartoons are posted primarily to his personal web site.  That seems like a big departure from the freedom of speech laws we have in the media here, where at most, controversial language and topics are relegated to cable, or outside of prime time hours.  

Do you think the US should be more like The Netherlands, or is arresting people based on what they publish to the Web a case of the government really overstepping its bounds?