Claiming the cartoonists and publishers are inciting violence is senseless

[smartvoter]

and a very dangerous path to take.

If the idea that voicing or expressing yourself IS THE CAUSE of violence from intolerant persons were to stand, we would see the inability to speak about all kinds of things from would-be oppressors that could literally control society by reacting violently to dissent and then blaming the dissenter(s).

These people (cartoonists) did not yell "fire" in a public area. They expressed themselves. Offended parties have the right to protest in return as the freedom door swings both ways, but those who respond with threats of death and/or violence and burn buildings ARE NOT the kinds of people who should prevail in these issues. They are intolerant. They are zealots. And they are dangerous -- to much more than this specific cartoon-oriented happening.

edit: typo

[Erika]

1. Mocking Islam's Holy Prophet is like crying fire

I thought the 72 Virgins cartoon was rather cute though.

The Jews and Muslims consider Jesus a Holy Prophet. I haven't seen those people mocking Jesus.

[cali]

7. Do you do anything other

than repeat this mindless and innacurate claim. It's been explained to you that the Jews don't consider Jesus a holy prophet. It's also been explained to you that although Muslims may not mock Jesus, plenty of other people do from McNally's play where Jesus and Judas have sex to the current issue of RS. In addition, it's also been pointed out that Muslim countries produce some of the vilest editorial cartoons imagineable, targeting Jews.

[TahitiNut]

2. Offense cannot be given, only taken.

:shrug:

[Erika]

4. I respect that thought

but that is a thought produced by our culture. The remark about the Prophet only served to incite fanatics.

[smartvoter]

5. And what remark incites the next fanatics? And the next? nt

[Neil Lisst]

3. People who want to control speech find censorship palatable.

To quote George Carlin, "fuck them."

The problem is not the cartoonist or the publishers. It is those who think they have a right to demand that no image appear which offends them.

To quote Lenny Bruce, "fuck them, too."

[smirkymonkey]

6. Freedom itself offends Muslim extremists - shall we hand that over

just to appease them? Those who are inciting violence over this matter want Western society, democracy and progressive ideals destroyed. We cannot back down on this -where will it stop?

[savemefromdumbya]

8. NATO?

[TahitiNut]

9. I wasn't aware that fanatics and extremists needed "incentives".

:shrug:

[smartvoter]

10. LOL. You are right. They are "excuses." nt