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Sunday, February 19, 2006
Freedom and Free Speech are not Free
Why is it that 'freedom of expression' is associated with 'anything goes' is it believed that freedom is free?
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The issue is similar to the fact that in today's America the publishing community no longer prints political cartoons that depict the African American as a black faced fool like they did back in the turn of the century. On college campuses it is no longer OK for fraternity brothers to paint their faces black and do the 'dance party' skit thing they all used to do back in the mid 50's and early 60's. These things it is realized are extremely degrading to a particular group, the African American group.
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This cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammad is the same thing. It is extremely degrading and it is considered a sign of complete lack of morality to do so in the eyes of the Islamic followers. It is a direct path to Hell, just as it is or would be to not show respect to the book, the collection of words on paper that is more then just a book to the Islamic, the Koran. There are very strict rules that are to ensure that respect is shown to the book that contains the words of a Prophet.
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Making and printing a cartoon depicting an image of Mohammad that is not 'reverent' is just as bad as going out and putting on a KKK outfit and hanging a manikins painted black, or just as bad as going out and torturing kittens and video taping it and publishing that on the internet, it is considered a lack of morality to do so by everybody.
So, is doing something that is lacking of morality, and doing it for public consumption, is that free speech? Doing a crime as an artistic statement or political statement make the crime ok to get away with under the guise of free speech? I think not. Freedom and free speech come with responsibility. The price of Freedom is we all have to work at understanding, at finding compassion, at calling out injustice when it is found.
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Now, the reactionary behavior of those who are making the news and creating riots and protests where people are being killed... that is morally wrong and just as bad, not good.
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If we look for one person to blame and point and say it is 'his fault, his fault!' we are getting caught up in a waste of time. Just like the Katrina debacle and failing of aid from our own government, if we spend time saying 'his fault his fault' and then do nothing to address the issue, to fix the problem so it does not happen twice, then we are all fools.
::
Free speech does not mean we have a right to say something with out regard. There are things that should not be said. This is the price of Freedom, that we understand our responsibility and understand what we poke fun of.
Do you have any idea WHY it was not ok to depict the Prophet Mohammad in such a way? Do you have any understanding of the Muslim faith? If the answer is no, it is now a good time to learn a little. There is no reason to stack fire wood and gasoline and leave a book of matches around a hot issue and then walk away. Someone who is a moron with out understanding will come along and light it, then others will scream and yell and what is accomplished?
::
There are some rules for the greater good, rules like stop for red lights, rules like do not steal, rules like wait your turn in line, these are all for the public good and order.
::
To not understand the public good and order does not give one the right to use 'Free Speech' as a mask for going against public good and order. The publishing company that printed the cartoon, the political artist/pundit who created it, they did not fully ask the question, WWJD.
::
I use the same logic on my elementary school aged kid, I suggest to her, when she is faced with a choice, make the choice that you feel you can stand in front of your mom, your dad, your grandmother and explain what you did and why. If you would not be comfortable doing so, then it is most likely not the thing to do, that is a good guideline for making a choice of right and wrong.
::
In the end, right and wrong is a social construct and ethics and morality have a degree of relativity of time. What was right and wrong a thousand years ago is not the same as what is right and wrong today. We all have a responsibility to question to ask to think to understand what these right and wrong things are and mean. If we do things in life with out asking 'is this ok' and then taking your own Devils advocate role and asking from the point of view of 'the other side' asking 'is this ok' and why.. that process is the cost of Freedom. If we do not take this step, we will eventually loose freedom. That is what people are at struggle with here, too many people take things A PRIORI take things for granted take things as a given right that can't be lost.... well, nothing is 'FREE' we all have responsibility if we want to live together.
::
The world is changing, it is getting smaller and what someone does in Denmark can effect the world. When MacBeth did his deeds the world did not shudder and ignite, but today to act with out conscious in the land of Danes has a differect affect. Do you know what that responsibility REALLY MEANS? What is the individuals responsibility in society today?
::
The issue is similar to the fact that in today's America the publishing community no longer prints political cartoons that depict the African American as a black faced fool like they did back in the turn of the century. On college campuses it is no longer OK for fraternity brothers to paint their faces black and do the 'dance party' skit thing they all used to do back in the mid 50's and early 60's. These things it is realized are extremely degrading to a particular group, the African American group.
::
This cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammad is the same thing. It is extremely degrading and it is considered a sign of complete lack of morality to do so in the eyes of the Islamic followers. It is a direct path to Hell, just as it is or would be to not show respect to the book, the collection of words on paper that is more then just a book to the Islamic, the Koran. There are very strict rules that are to ensure that respect is shown to the book that contains the words of a Prophet.
::
Making and printing a cartoon depicting an image of Mohammad that is not 'reverent' is just as bad as going out and putting on a KKK outfit and hanging a manikins painted black, or just as bad as going out and torturing kittens and video taping it and publishing that on the internet, it is considered a lack of morality to do so by everybody.
So, is doing something that is lacking of morality, and doing it for public consumption, is that free speech? Doing a crime as an artistic statement or political statement make the crime ok to get away with under the guise of free speech? I think not. Freedom and free speech come with responsibility. The price of Freedom is we all have to work at understanding, at finding compassion, at calling out injustice when it is found.
::
Now, the reactionary behavior of those who are making the news and creating riots and protests where people are being killed... that is morally wrong and just as bad, not good.
::
If we look for one person to blame and point and say it is 'his fault, his fault!' we are getting caught up in a waste of time. Just like the Katrina debacle and failing of aid from our own government, if we spend time saying 'his fault his fault' and then do nothing to address the issue, to fix the problem so it does not happen twice, then we are all fools.
::
Free speech does not mean we have a right to say something with out regard. There are things that should not be said. This is the price of Freedom, that we understand our responsibility and understand what we poke fun of.
Do you have any idea WHY it was not ok to depict the Prophet Mohammad in such a way? Do you have any understanding of the Muslim faith? If the answer is no, it is now a good time to learn a little. There is no reason to stack fire wood and gasoline and leave a book of matches around a hot issue and then walk away. Someone who is a moron with out understanding will come along and light it, then others will scream and yell and what is accomplished?
::
There are some rules for the greater good, rules like stop for red lights, rules like do not steal, rules like wait your turn in line, these are all for the public good and order.
::
To not understand the public good and order does not give one the right to use 'Free Speech' as a mask for going against public good and order. The publishing company that printed the cartoon, the political artist/pundit who created it, they did not fully ask the question, WWJD.
::
I use the same logic on my elementary school aged kid, I suggest to her, when she is faced with a choice, make the choice that you feel you can stand in front of your mom, your dad, your grandmother and explain what you did and why. If you would not be comfortable doing so, then it is most likely not the thing to do, that is a good guideline for making a choice of right and wrong.
::
In the end, right and wrong is a social construct and ethics and morality have a degree of relativity of time. What was right and wrong a thousand years ago is not the same as what is right and wrong today. We all have a responsibility to question to ask to think to understand what these right and wrong things are and mean. If we do things in life with out asking 'is this ok' and then taking your own Devils advocate role and asking from the point of view of 'the other side' asking 'is this ok' and why.. that process is the cost of Freedom. If we do not take this step, we will eventually loose freedom. That is what people are at struggle with here, too many people take things A PRIORI take things for granted take things as a given right that can't be lost.... well, nothing is 'FREE' we all have responsibility if we want to live together.
::
The world is changing, it is getting smaller and what someone does in Denmark can effect the world. When MacBeth did his deeds the world did not shudder and ignite, but today to act with out conscious in the land of Danes has a differect affect. Do you know what that responsibility REALLY MEANS? What is the individuals responsibility in society today?
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