Vandalism is unacceptable. So is streetfighting.
But if you accept the right of people to publish provocative things, even if they're only cartoons (cf. Thomas Nast), you must accept the right of people to carry provocative things around on placards.
Threats, unless specific or accompanied by means to carry them out, are only words. Did they give a time, a date, a location? Did they name a victim? If not, they are expressing an unpleasant, aggressive form of political speech.
The signs bother us? Sure. The cartoons bothered them. They consider it idolatry and blasphemy. It's very serious to them. We think that cartoons are trivial, but that doesn't matter to them.
If it's only OK for one side to exercise free speech, it isn't really free, is it?
Current Events » in reply to But they arent protesting peacefully...
Some of them aren't. A lot of them are.
The whole thread (36 posts)
- Apologizing and Explaining Printing Cartoons in France
- This is getting a lot of play on the blogosphere.
- I think Muslims should grow a thicker skin (n/t)
- PS Good for Brigitte Bardot! (n/t)