Bob Dylan’s Discordant Notes
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The New York Times
December 9, 2013

Last month, France presented Bob Dylan with its highest civilian prize, the Legion of Honor. At the ceremony, the French culture minister gushed about how Mr. Dylan had inspired a whole generation to push for peace and civil rights, about how he was inspired by Verlaine and Rimbaud in his fight for justice and freedom.

It turns out that just days before the award was pinned on Mr. Dylan’s lapel, a Parisian prosecutor had filed preliminary charges against Mr. Dylan for violating a law that restricts free speech. The French authorities are investigating Mr. Dylan for “public injury” and “incitement to hatred.”...

Mr. Dylan could have phrased his thoughts better, but this should not be a case for the courts.

Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked all across the holy moly world like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners and B.F. Skinner...  we love this splendiferous song...  this whole album is incredible...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...

Bob Dylan made some really really really silly comments to Rolling Stone in September of 2012, but isn't punishing somebody for supposed racist remarks actually institutional racism in and of itself?

Bob Dylan charged in France with incitement to hatred
Al Jazeera
December 3, 2013

French authorities have filed preliminary charges against Bob Dylan over a 2012 interview in which he is quoted comparing Croatians to Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan...

During the interview in question, published in September 2012, Dylan said that racism was holding America back and made a reference to Croatians and Nazis to illustrate his point: "Blacks know that some whites didn't want to give up slavery — that if they had their way, they would still be under the yoke, and they can't pretend they don't know that. If you got a slave master or (a Ku Klux) Klan (member) in your blood, blacks can sense that. That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood."

France has strict laws punishing hate speech and racist remarks...