As the title of the last post says, if you're offended by these cartoons, get over it... you're an idiot. What anybody else believes, says, prints, or broadcasts is their business. As long as you are not forced (I mean physically coerced) to look and listen, you have no claim to injustice. None. Grow up.
And if you are one of those who is not particularly offended, but who think it wrong to publish these images; why? Is it because they might offend someone, then read the above. Is it because "they" wouldn't do the same to "us"? Then I commend you to the thousands of instances of Muslims publishing, announcing, and broadcasting material infinitely more insulting, abusive, and violent than a few cartoons. Is it because you are afraid? Afraid that you might "incite" retribution from Muslims? Your fear is justified; these barbarians will accept any excuse to blame their betters for their miserable existence, and to vent their frustration at their own impotence against the innocent. But think again... your cowardice will not placate them, but rather will spur them on. Bullies need victims, indeed, they thrive on them. Only courage and steadfastness can defeat them, and will do so quickly and easily. Their only real weapon is their enemies' moral weakness. Civilised society, in the name of justice, must name and uphold the essential issue: the right to freedom of speech. They have nothing with which to fight; they can only destroy. Absent the sanction of civilized society, their insane protestations will fall on deaf ears. Let them boycott the rest of the world, if they will. We will survive more expensive energy, and free society will quickly develop substitutes. They will whither and starve when they realize you can't eat oil.
But herein lies our problem. While the current Muslim attempt to silence "insults" to their "god" are perhaps more virulent, countless transgressions of the right to free speech have been made by intellectuals, religious leaders of all persuasions, and the government, even since the 1st amendment was penned. How will our so-called leaders condemn Islam and uphold the freedom of the press while at the same time advocating obscenity laws, movie ratings, "hate-speech" laws, and sundry other curtailments of individuals' rights to say what they wish?
To do so they must first recognize that the right to free speech means just that, no matter how offensive that speech may be deemed by one other person, or by millions. So long as it is expression only, by private means, whether a loudhailer or a privately owned printing press; so long as there is no initiation or threat of physical force, say what you will. Civilized society depends on this, and cannot function without it. As every child knows: sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
