'Racists' not entitled to participate in asylum seeker debate

Julia Gillard "has called for an end to 'political correctness' in the debate over the boatloads of asylum seekers reaching Australia's north." Human Rights Watch sees public discussion as simply more "refugee-bashing", however, and according to ABC News, the head of Western Australia's Ethnic Communities Council thinks that public discussion of the issues is "important" but worries that "'anxiety' may lead some people to seek to legitimise racist opinions."

Now it seems to me that, since real racists are almost always pretty damn loony, they should be encouraged to speak their minds and thereby discrediting themselves. Regardless, even idiots are entitled to voice their opinions.