Martin, thanks for starting such an interesting thread. My own position is the same as Mick's, and Alison'. I am a bit bothered by Graeme's caveat, there is the perennial problems of censorship - who decides; and where to draw the line. eg Graeme differentiates between the Wehrmact and the SS and SA, do we differentiate between the original SS and the Waffen SS, or between German SS divisions and foreign volunteer divisions? etc.

Similarly there is the issue of context, both of the song itself and of the request. For the first, there are many songs in the database which I am sure would be considered racist, or sexist etc if written today, but which accurately reflect the views of society at the time. Should we deny these songs? Secondly, in the case of the Mudcat, I think we have to take it on trust that we are all have a bone fide interest in folk song/music per se as performers, scholars, and researchers regardless of our political views.

Apart from the above, my main concern is I suppose, that if we exclude songs of these and other extreme units and organisations it becomes easier to dimiss them as aberations which "could not happen here". Quite apart from the recent research into the reasons for the rise of Facism, the events in Bosnia and now Kosovo demonstrate all too clearly that "extremists" and people who commit atrocities are literally the guys who live next door.

I understand that some will take these songs at face value and continue their advocacy of hate, but if they help in any way to remind the majority of where that path leads and to be on guard against it, then in my view that is a price worth paying.

Pete M