And Here We've Worried about Violence in Cartoons...

In the past, Americans have worried about Beavis and Butthead's affinity for fire or Wile E. Coyote's taking an anvil on the chin.  I dare say we have not feared violent protests fueled, in part, by cartoons.  I say "in part" because it is apparent that given the publication dates of these cartoons this has been used as more of an excuse to riot than anything else.

If you haven't been paying attention, you might have missed the back story on the rioting over drawings of Mohammed which have included, among other things, the cold-blooded murder of a Catholic priest.  If you have only been watching the MSM reports, you may have somehow come to believe that this is warranted and acceptable behavior on a part of a "wronged" religious group.  I should probably remind you of the depiction of the Virgin Mary complete with a breast made of elephant crap.  Catholics weren't really impressed, but they didn't make signs calling for the beheadings of non-Catholics and "Death to Freedom".  They pretty much made their feelings known, didn't visit the exhibit and chalked it up to yet another time when someone made a crappy (literally) project and called it art.  And, let's not forget Roger Mapelthorpe's exhibit which drew controversy for having a crucifix sitting in urine...ick.  Again, big stink...the faithful felt offended and those against censorship said he had a right to his "art."  Gosh, if these two "artists" are so terrific, I should be in the Guggenheim by now with the contents of M2's diaper pail alone!

At any rate, Michelle Malkin has been on this story from the very beginning.  This post is comprehensive and encompasses links to her previous posts on this matter from its start.  She follows up with an interesting video that explains much of what is happening.  The violence is apparently scaring some free expression loving countries right out of caring all that much about freedom.    Charles Krauthammer weighs in here with the hypocritical nature of the messengers.

If you read nothing else associated with this story, I wish you would at least read this opinion piece from Diana West in the Washington Times.  I try not to become too depressed about the current state of the world, but if you're a Christian or Jewish or you simply value the right to the freedom of expression, regardless of how ridiculous what is expressed is, than you should have your radar beeping by now.  This piece crystalizes much of what has been rattling about in my head since the weekend.

This isn't to say that I've never said that some things aren't worth the ink that was used to print them.  Case in point, this disgusting "cartoon" printed in the Washington Post which received a resounding response of "STAND DOWN" from ALL the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  Blackfive and his readers sounded off about it, responded to it, but at the end of the day, the right to the freedom of expression won out...coincidentally, so did the right to deliver a smackdown to the "cartoonist" if a face-to-face meeting were to take place, but that's outside the realm of this discussion.

I guess what I'm getting at here is that the freedom of expression, if it is to be true freedom, has to allow for ignorant, intolerant, mean-spirited and completely false expressions if it is to survive.  The whole concept of the Marketplace of Ideas is one which is rich with possibilities.  Becoming a critical consumer in that marketplace is imperative to survival.  Given that much of the furious responses in the Muslim world were stirred up by three false cartoons created by radical Islamic groups/imams, you can see where doing your research, keeping your head about you and participating in mature discourse is better than holding up signs calling for the beheadings of people expressing themselves. 

Limiting free expression means that at any time that encroachment could reach you...or me...or future generations.  In the opinion piece I directed you to, it's clear that the writer has an understanding of what we are facing and her urging for us to stop pretending that this is going to go away is imperative.

These riots are also putting our troops in danger as Afghanistan and Iraq are not immune to the violence and Eastern Europe is seeing an influx of these protestors as well.  And, for the record, in my opinion, if the Muslim community has a problem with cartoons then their freedom of expression is also intact.  However, criminal destruction, rioting and threatening people with death are crossing the line into harming others' in their freedom and liberty.  So, it has no place in the Marketplace of Ideas.  Let's face it...it's pretty crazy when you have someone "offended" over Piglet from Winnie the Pooh and banks in England stop handing out PIGGY banks to kids who open savings accounts for fear they will offend the Muslim community.

If you aren't paying attention, it's time.

Comments

[Andi]

Nice job, Melinda!