tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428824763182540039.post2987408993398165887..comments2024-01-17T09:33:57.158-08:00Comments on Brain Rage: Everybody Draw Mohammed DayJBWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13293642610215334516noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5428824763182540039.post-27611401189669859962010-04-26T03:21:20.250-07:002010-04-26T03:21:20.250-07:00I'm not totally with you on this one, JBW.
&q...I'm not totally with you on this one, JBW.<br /><br />"Freedom of speech" is often a cosy refuge for those who seek simply to vilify, and then get away by calling themselves principled for doing it.<br />Like all our other freedoms, our conduct with regard to that freedom must be worthy of it.<br /><br />It's not a catch-all get-out-of-jail for fucking people over. It's a political right to speak for truth.<br /><br />"It's about fighting terrorism".... Not it's not. Destroying Al Qaeda training camps is fighting terrorism. <br />This has nothing to do with that. And if this were about sending up Jesus we wouldn't even be talking this linkage.<br /><br />"Nobody in this world has a right not to be offended".<br /><br />Whoa... reconsider what you're saying there.... Because the ancillary to that is that everyone has the right to go round verbally bullying people in any way they want.<br />Do you reckon the parents of teens who have killed themselves because of school bullying would be on board for your argument? I reckon not.<br /><br />If someone called Obama (who - despite the paranoid imagination of the Right - is not even a religious figure) a "something@#$%something nasty" you'd be on their case faster than Republican going to a sex show with donor money. <br />And quite rightly so. <br />And if the difference there is that Obama is not a religious figure, but Mohammed is, then that's tacit acceptance that vilification is just fine as long as it's based on religion.<br />Have I just vilified Republicans? maybe... Depends whether you are a Republican. <br /><br />In any case YOU are able to comfortably say "nobody has the right not to be offended" because you are a capable debater, have high self-esteem, are emotionally resilient, not in a minority, and are at all times up for verbal agro (confrontation) because you like it.<br />Not everyone is so well armored. <br /><br />May 20th is my mum's birthday.<br />Anybody saying anything about her will meet my friend 'Pain' - to quote the great Mr T.magpiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08690258860393548951noreply@blogger.com