Tony’s Rant

In a news story on MSN, Iranians staged a riot and burned a Kentucky Fried Chicken in protest of a cartoon that depicts Mohammad in a turban shaped like a bomb with a burning fuse, among other cartoons that depict their prophet. Apparently, they feel that the country of Denmark, where the cartoon originates from, is intolerant…:roll:

First, let me say that I am not against Muslims. I have no underlying hatred for them, nor do I prescribe to their beliefs - I am a Christian. I understand that they believe that it is wrong to depict their prophet in an image, okay, I get it - TRUST ME - as many times as I have seen my religion bashed and trashed by the media, I get it. But at the end of the day, I haven’t stormed any newspapers, burned any embassies, or ruined any businesses that don’t even belong to the offending country (Hey, I live in Kentucky, I could take burning images of the Colonel as offensive! :rofl:).

But what does it say when a group of people, who say they are peaceful, react like THIS to a cartoon? Cartoons of this sort have been around for a long time now. Their purpose is to offend us and make us think. From what I have seen, the response from cartoonist around the world have been far more scathing than the original images are. Man, it’s sad that I have to include all of these disclaimers - but I understand that this is not the Muslim community reaction as a whole, but the reaction of only a select group of people. But ask yourself, why now?

Also, while researching this, I found out that the original cartoons were published in Denmark in September! They were re-published by an Egyptian newspaper in October! So why 4 and 5 months later is the outrage so strong? Maybe someone somewhere has held this back to unleash on the community at the most opportune time for the greatest effect. I also read that over 100 suicide bombers were recruited because of this outrage…hmmm, recruiting posters?

A couple of things I am glad to see out of this though - 1. Maybe they (the press) will leave Christians alone for a while, 2. The new target of choice is Denmark, and not the USA, and 3. Maybe it will instigate a MUCH needed change in the press.

Bottom line is that the reaction is greater than the offense - Christianity has been being bashed by government and by Eastern religions for some time now without this kind of reaction - so has Judaism. Now, Muslims are going to storm the social fabric because they are the ones who are being offended. The bottom line is also that it has gone on too long that the press feels like they have a right to print what they want without seeing the responsibility behind that right. Every right comes with responsibility, and we are loosing that in our modern society. It has come to the point where everything is about MY rights. My right to representation, but what about my responsibility to vote? My right to bear arms, but what about my responsibility to teach my children the proper handling of that weapon, it’s power, and to protect them from misuse? My right to free press, but what about the responsibility behind that?

For too long, reporters, editors, and newspaper owners have taken an attitude that they can write anything they want, while waving the right to free speech around like a shield. But we have a responsibility to not yell “fire” in a crowded theater - shouldn’t I also have that right to free speech? Absolutely not, because in exercising that right, I have deprived others of their rights, such as to enjoy peace, to enjoy safety, and to just watch the movie! My father taught me long ago, and it has always stuck with me, that my rights end where another man’s begins - that is equal enjoyment of freedom. We have lost that understanding in the “me” generation. It is a sad testimony that we run around shouting about our rights without also considering the rights of others as well. But, I guess that, too, falls under “freedom of speech”…

Tony