Copyright (c) 2010 Harry A. Gaylord
This was hurriedly scrawled in response to the Draw Muhammad and anti-Draw Muhammad pages on Facebook:
As outrageous as everyone who is against the event believes it is, it will not or I should say should not be stopped - at least in countries with constitutions guaranteeing freedom of speech. Would it be nice if everyone respected everyone's individuality and culture? Yes. Should we violate basic constitutional tenants to force everyone to do so? No.
Freedom of speech protects even the willfully ignorant too. See, I just bashed stupid people...because it is my right to voice an opinion. Would you have the host of this blog ban me for it? Every major religion, race, ethnicity, color, and creed, who has even remotely occupied a space of strategic or economic value, has been a target of persecution, oppression, denigration, or ridicule. All of them. Just ask the Tibetan people they will tell you all about it. Moreover, when the tables turned many of these groups turned around and repeated the process to others. This is not a new process.
One day we just might all get along and this will all be a moot point. However, until such a time comes why are we outraged over the comments of a few financially and intellectually immobile individuals? I found a draw Muhammad page that barely had a thousand fans. I do not think we should all tremble at this woefully non-fearsome coalition of socially unimportant cowards sitting at their computers pontificating about peoples and religions they know nothing about, and who do not intend to make an effort to learn anything either. Do you expect people with actual power and influence, who participate in real world events, will listen to such individuals anyway? Stupidity might be contagious, but it is not that contagious.
Finally, the arguments that religiously defamatory messages or irreverent behavior draws the wrath of God in turn leading to the harm or death of Christians, Westerners, Capitalists, or democrats abroad, is utterly ridiculous. When God decides to descend from where he resides when he is not out smiting people, I think we will all realize it and will not need anyone to point it out for us. Until such time, anyone who may die dies because of the willful actions of another individual or group - not because God mandated it. Period.
Freedom of speech is protected all over the democratic world. I wish people did not say or do disrespectful things. However, just because I do not like it does not automatically preclude it from being protected speech. Unprotected speech would be something that calls for or encourages violence, not something that merely inflames passions. If you feel so defamed, then take your complaint to a court and try to see if you can get some recompense. Just remember, in times of trial and tribulation your emotions are yours to control. I believe that is a tenant, in one form or another, within all popular faiths.
"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." - John 12:28 NIV
It seems God does not need any help protecting his reputation. Perhaps all he or she wants is for us to love each other and live in peace. I will not beat on my we-have-more-important-things-to-worry-about drum today, but I will tap lightly on my get-over-ourselves-already tambourine.
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