Originally Posted By ecdc 2oony, great question. I think that cartoons fall under free speech (in this country, anyway - not sure about Denmark and other places) and should be protected. Part of free speech means we have to put up with obnoxious people, even if they are trying to do nothing more than be provacative and anger others. Take Serrano's "Piss Christ", for example. He dunked a crucifix in a bucket of urine mixed with blood and called it art. You ask me, he's just trying to offend people and he succeeded. But it's no excuse to put a bounty out on his life, and Christians in America, extreme and maddening as I find the far right sometimes, never did that. If someone wants to draw a cartoon for the sole purpose of offending, hey, so be it. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Larry Flynt when Hustler published the cartoon of Jerry Falwell and his mother in an outhouse. To me, this issue might be the catalyst that gets people to see there is a serious problem with *most* of Islam. Not just a handful of nutcases in a cave, but the mainstream majority. It shouldn't get to hide under the guise of religion anymore. It should be spoken out against, just as injustice in other forms is spoken out against, until it reforms.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Beautifully put ecdc! Man I thought I was so smart till I read some of this brilliant stuff.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I want to post a few thoughts here. I am not convinced that the majority of Muslims support these behaviors. I will say this though, what is it going to take for the silent majority of Muslims to stop these nutty crazy people who are giving their religion a bad name. Islamic writer Salman Rushdie wrote of these silent Muslims in a New York Times article three years ago. "As their ancient, deeply civilized culture of love, art and philosophical reflection is hijacked by paranoiacs, racists, liars, male supremacists, tyrants, fanatics and violence junkies, why are they not screaming?"
Originally Posted By cape cod joe If, or until they do Tom, we have to be viglant and believe what we see (trying to kill us) rather than what we hope for. You have to give Salman credit for his open-minded after the Ayatollah put a bounty on his head for not "towing the lne"
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>"As their ancient, deeply civilized culture of love, art and philosophical reflection is hijacked by paranoiacs, racists, liars, male supremacists, tyrants, fanatics and violence junkies, why are they not screaming?" << Possibly because they'd be screaming against paranoaics, racists, liars, male supremacists, tyrants, fanatics and violence junkies. The same reason most Germans didn't scream against the Nazis. Or the same reason that most Puritans didn't scream against the witch trials. Or the same reason that most Russians didn't scream against Stalin.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe So what's the reason Tom? If it's fear then the people have a responsiblity to "wear" as Dr.Phil puts it, the results of their not speaking out. I have a lot of experience conversing with concentration camp victims and their children, and the children almost always held their parents responsible for NOT speaking up.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Tom I appreciate your comment and I think to some extent its true. However, thats no excuse for ALL Muslims to sit on the side lines and do nothing. Its also not an explanation why many middle east governments not only allow these "violence junkies" to exist in their countries but also support these terrorist organization financially. I also feel compelled to point out that the Muslim religion is the ONLY religion that holds a formal policy of expanding their participant base by killing off anyone who will not convert.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe I'm so sad KT because in college, Islam was a GREAT religion>35 years ago---------What the heck happened??????????
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>However, thats no excuse for ALL Muslims to sit on the side lines and do nothing. << "ALL Muslims" aren't sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. Don't confuse a failure in media reporting on the events with a lack of activity.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy << However, thats no excuse for ALL Muslims to sit on the side lines and do nothing. >> Muslims remain silent for two reasons in my opinion. One, they are scared to say anything because their fellow "religion of peace" Muslims have been known to kill anyone who opposes them. This is the same reason the liberal media is scared to print the cartoons. Total wimps that are bowing down to thugs and bullies. I say the cartoons should be printed in every newspaper possible at this point just to send a message to to the Muslims that they can't get their way by starting riots. Screw them! Two, Muslims are silent because they deep down AGREE with the " radical " muslims because the Koran plainly states that the non beleiver or those who insult Allah should die. To be a " moderate " Muslim who wants to get along with the rest of the world, you have to ignore what your precious Koran tells you. That's the rub for Islam. So after all of this, the libs smear Christians and defend Muslims... just another reason I think liberals are sick in the head regarding so many issues, and are very dangerous.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Hence the importance of FOX when other networks don't report such things. I agree Tom!
Originally Posted By Beaumandy <<"ALL Muslims" aren't sitting on the sidelines doing nothing. Don't confuse a failure in media reporting on the events with a lack of activity.>> Sorry Tom, but I have yet to see a massive protest against Islamic terrorism. You have a few token words from CAIR, a token " protest " of a few dozen Muslims, but it's all window dressing. Where is the anti Bin Laden Protest Tom? Wake up.. Oh, I'm in a bbbbadddd mood after the Super Bowl punk job!
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>I have a lot of experience conversing with concentration camp victims and their children, and the children almost always held their parents responsible for NOT speaking up.<< Their children who live in a society that protects freedom of conscience and freedom of assembly? Do they really have any idea what it's like to live in the kind of culture where things like the Holocaust can happen?
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>Sorry Tom, but I have yet to see a massive protest against Islamic terrorism.<< I think there are only massive protests when there is a lot of anger about an issue, Beau. I don't think there's a lot of anger in the worldwide Muslim community about Islamic terrorism because it isn't the norm for them. Just like there aren't big protests in the United States when a fundamentalist murders a doctor who performs abortions, or when Fred Phelps parades his ignorance at funerals. Just because you associate all of Islam with terrorism doesn't mean that most Muslims do. You should have spent time with your family out in the mountains like I did yesterday, Beau. We had a great time playing in the snowand I'm in a good mood today.
Originally Posted By cape cod joe Yes----------In our discussions, the children were indoctrinated with the parents' entire lives in Nazi Germany. You have to give the parents credit for being honest, To make an analogy, on 9/11 the planes hitting the towers (passengers did not know they were doomed anyways-so they didn't fight back)>>like Hitler's Auschwitz shower ruse------------------plane in Pa. -----they DID know they were going to be dead anyways (cell phone conversations) hence they fought back---------either scenario very difficult to deal with BUT I'm on Beau's side here as there has been a DEAFENING silence from the Muslim leaders. I'm not going to argue that FACT. The Muslims have NOT spoken up against violence in this country of ours or throughout the Muslim world especially. They have NOT!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I say the cartoons should be printed in every newspaper possible at this point just to send a message to to the Muslims that they can't get their way by starting riots.<< Again, I ask if you would feel the same if there were an unflattering image of Jesus Christ in a political cartoon?
