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Seems like Americans are all in agreement. Where is Obama?
We cannot go along as if we are walking on eggs shells, just to not offend people. Referring to recent events, we should not censor ourselves just because the slightest offense will incite lunatic Muslims. Half of those people are not following their religion anyway, they just use it as cover so they can murder and destroy.
Because the only thing I've seen is the pornographic 15-min clip that's no longer available on-line. And it goes way beyond offensive.
While I will defend free speech, and do, I think these people did with intent incite violence. I respect that you disagree, and as more information becomes available, I might change my opinion about the intent. But if all they wanted was to say something offensive, they did that, in the original English-speaking clip. So why did they feel the need to translate it into Arabic? And post it just two days before 9/11? And have a network of right-wing activists distribute links to the video in Middle East forums?
I have not seen the moive, but I did watch the 13-minute trailer. It is not pornographic, but I can see how it can be construed as offensive to devout Muslims. Just as offensive as say putting a crucifix into a jar or urine, or depicting the "Virgin Mary" with elephant dung and a collaged pornographic images. Even the artist described his own work as "sick" and I tend to agree.
I do not pretend to know the motivation or intention of the writter of this movie, and I will not hazard a guess. However, you are mistaken about it being released two days ago. The 13-minute trailer has been on YouTube since July, and it is still there despite Obama's irrational demands. The attacks on US embassies in the middle-east had nothing to do with the movie. These were coordinated attacks, planned well in advance. The movie is simply the pretext Obama is using as an excuse for not taking action to secure our embassies when he knew in advance that they would be attacked.
Did you read that link in the OP. You don't sound to me like you did.
Yes Roy, I read the story and the poll.
5.Is it more important for the United States to guarantee freedom of speech or to make sure that nothing is done to offend other nations?
Could you please draw me a picture of what "make sure nothing is done to offend other nations looks like"?
I do not understand how that could be done even if somebody wanted it to happen. What is the creator of the poll suggesting? Rassmusen is not suggesting that the Obama administration is going to start censoring the internet and phone lines, all films and art.
5.Is it more important for the United States to guarantee freedom of speech or to make sure that nothing is done to offend other nations?
Could you please draw me a picture of what "make sure nothing is done to offend other nations looks like"?
I do not understand how that could be done even if somebody wanted it to happen. What is the creator of the poll suggesting? Rassmusen is not suggesting that the Obama administration is going to start censoring the internet and phone lines, all films and art.
I sure missed the part you suggest about censorship but I do think that they jumped in a bit too soon blaming the movie as the cause of all those things going on all over the world. Do you have something to prove that the movie was not sent to the Muslim world just in time for 9-11 by somebody from the Muslim Brotherhood of North America? Maybe Barack needed to look into that before he started apologizing for the movie. Yep, I do think he should have done that unless he is sure than nobody from the Brotherhood would do such a thing. That thing had been around for a very long time.
I sure missed the part you suggest about censorship but I do think that they jumped in a bit too soon blaming the movie as the cause of all those things going on all over the world. Do you have something to prove that the movie was not sent to the Muslim world just in time for 9-11 by somebody from the Muslim Brotherhood of North America? Maybe Barack needed to look into that before he started apologizing for the movie. Yep, I do think he should have done that unless he is sure than nobody from the Brotherhood would do such a thing. That thing had been around for a very long time.
Question 5 Is it more important for the United States to guarantee freedom of speech or to make sure that nothing is done to offend other nations and cultures?
I say again, what does that mean? How can the United States "make sure nothing is done to offend other nations and cultures"? The question suggest censorship, not me.
It is a bogus poll. I don't need to prove anything. I made no allegation regarding the film the raised a ruckus and got folks killed.
What the he77 did y'all think was gonna happen with the invasion of Iraq? This was the only outcome that was predictable. I'm surprised it took this long. I'm still waiting for the promised roses at our feet.
You can't expect mental health where there is none. We will be fighting some version of that war for 3 more generations. It will never end.
The USA, the greatest nation in the world got it's start offending other cultures. We started by offending the British. It would be hard to find any culture that has never been insulted now and then. Even American culture gets criticized sometimes.
I don't get what this poll - this thread - is supposed to prove. You can agree that it's a bad idea to allow governments to decide what and what is not criminal expression -- that is not the issue in the case that I assume we're talking about, though.
I think the bigger issue is whether or not individuals are using that freedom responsibly. You have the freedom to say what you want, but the reality is that we also live in a world where speech has consequences. You have the freedom to crack jokes someone's deceased relative as their families are laying wreathes on their tombstones - that doesn't mean it's a great idea.
Here's the thing: I don't have a problem with someone who is raising legitimate complaints about Islam. I have complaints about Islam. I have a laundry list of things that I don't like about Islam and other organized religions. I frequently criticize Zionism and Christianity. I criticize the Catholic church. But I'm not going to go troll Catholics just for no other reason than to incite ill feelings. That's what this whole thing is about. It's not protest of Islam; it's just preaching intolerance and smearing someone's religious icons.
Do I think Muslims are overreacting? Abso-f*cking-lutely. It still boggles the mind how some Muslims somehow believe that the way to protect the image of their religion and to have others hold it in high regard is to incite acts of violence. For this reason, I think large sections of the Muslim world are still tinderboxes. I also understand why Europeans don't feel comfortable allowing more Muslim immigrants, and Muslims in Europe, Canada, and other Western countries need to get that - like now.
But having said that, seriously, what good can come from provoking people deliberately? Why not just try to understand where people are coming from, and try to work with their cultural differences? The people who are mocking Muslims right now are really no better than the ones who are burning effigies and American flags in city streets of Karachi. Both sides are, in my view, guilty of an unwillingness to tolerate and listen to the other.
And regardless of however justified you may think you are in taking Islam to task, there's not a damn thing that's going to change about their world view of you unless you start, at the very least, accepting that it's just not right to go around intentionally insulting other people's cultures for no apparent reason other than to provoke a reaction. It may be legal, but it's not wise, and it's just not very nice, and people are going to react angrily to it.
I still support the freedom of speech, but I also support ever more strongly the idea that people should use that right responsibly.
The USA, the greatest nation in the world got it's start offending other cultures. We started by offending the British. It would be hard to find any culture that has never been insulted now and then. Even American culture gets criticized sometimes.
You really think there are parallels between "offending" the Crown and this?
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