Decision ‘08

Freedom of Speech Or Deliberate Offensiveness?

A confession: I haven’t followed the whole Danish Muslim cartoon thing. The Commissar has, though, and he wonders why more big outlets aren’t taking a stand for freedom of speech…the details here…

(It’s true that I’m not posting the pics, either…but then again, my seldom-broken policy is to only post pictures of my beagle)…

10 Responses to “Freedom of Speech Or Deliberate Offensiveness?”

1 Hokie Explorer Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Freedom of speech. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. The same thing comes to censorship of American television. If you don’t like what you’re watching, change the channel.
2 louielouie Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 12:17 pm
the reason legacy media isn’t going to touch this is because of this:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/009969.php

you cross klintonista and you push up daisies.
3 Fred Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Why can’t it be both?
4 Penelope Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 1:47 pm
So I read Cohen’s column and I wrote him back. I don’t think anyone would publish it, so why don’t you all read it.

Dear Mr. Cohen:

For Several years now I have been an avid reader of TWP. I had always viewed it as one of the few newspapers that seemed unbiased towards any one race or anyone’s religious beliefs. I was very thankful for this as I am a person who believes in personal freedoms and also that people should not be judged by their choice of religion or their non-choice of race.

This morning, as every morning, I sat down at my computer, with coffee in one hand and my mouse in the other, and clicked on Washington Post that is safely tucked in my favorites list. I scrolled down to the opinions section and blinked at YOUR headline, “Don’t be fooled by Hamas”. My eyes widened and I clicked the link and to my utter dismay read on.

I love history as a rule, and do believe that we should learn through the mistakes of others and the atrocities of others. What I couldn’t believe, Mr. Cohen, was that you compared Hamas with the Nazis even though you said, ” I am not likening Hamas or Islamist Militancy to Nazism…. only the mindset”. Now Mr. Cohen, you are a very, extremely, intelligent man, and you know as well as I, that the thought of Nazis brings up anger and hateful feelings in the minds of Americans. To mention the Nazis in the same paragraph is going to get your desired affect.

Hamas = Nazis

SHAME ON YOU! Mr. Cohen, since you’re the one that brought up the past, I ask you, does 1948 ring any bells? To most Americans it doesn’t. Four years ago it wouldn’t have to me. If it doesn’t, let me enlighten you. It was the year Israelis and foreign, rich Jews themselves said, it is time to ETHNICALLY CLEANSE Palestine of all, or as many as possible, Palestinians. It was time to make a country for Israelis. And how, Mr. Cohen, did they displace almost 1 million Palestinians? They killed them, hunted them and threatened them. They massacred small villages, walked to the next, and told them that if they did not leave they would do the same to those who remained.

So now I ask you Mr. Cohen, are you scared that Palestinians well learn from, and become Nazis, or are you scared that they will learn from the Israelis and take to heart the old saying, “Do unto others, as they do unto you”?

Penelope
American,
of Irish, English and Norwegian Decent
5 Mark Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Penelope, I appreciate your thoughts and you’re always welcome to post here…

I also appreciate that Israelis have, in fact, done some bad things to Palestinians, and that some of the Palestinian greivances (indeed, most) are legitimate.

However, (and here I find myself in a most unusual spot, that of defending Richard Cohen), Cohen’s point in making the dreaded Nazi analogy was a narrow one, in this case.

He was simply saying sometimes you have to take people at their words - and if Hitler said in Mein Kampf what he was going to do and then proceeded to do it, it might pay to examine what Hamas says in its public rhetoric and to take it at face value.

Perhaps they mean what they say, I think, is the only thing Cohen was trying to get across by bringing up the Nazis…
6 Don Surber Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 4:31 pm
They CAIR Not About Rights

Today we are all French.
7 Don Surber Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Legacy media, hmm, Dhimmi. Dinosaurs, dead trees, now this … But hey, I posted them. I own no beagle.
8 Clint Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 5:02 pm
“Freedom of Speech Or Deliberate Offensiveness?”

When did it become acceptable to censor deliberately offensive speech?

For what it’s worth, one of the cartoons in question is absolutely brilliant. It’s a picture of a cartoonist in a darkened room with the shades drawn furtively sketching a picture of Mohammed.
9 Mark Says:
February 1st, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Well…alright, Don, if you have no beagle, then I guess it’s okay…
10 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » A Little Caution? A Fine Idea Says:
February 2nd, 2006 at 10:58 am
[…] Yesterday, I asked, rhetorically, referring to the Muslim cartoon controversy: freedom of speech or deliberate offensiveness? Of course, freedom of speech covers even the deliberately offensive, as Fred and Clint both noted in the comments. However, I must say I was a bit taken aback by the glee with which this issue was jumped on… […]