Posted on 01/12/2015 4:39:50 AM PST by LeoMcNeil
Much is being made of President Obama’s failure to attend the Paris unity march yesterday. Apparently Eric Holder was sent but he was nowhere to be found when 40 world leaders locked arms in a show of unity against Muslim terrorism. This isn’t even a matter of Obama leading from behind, it’s a matter of him not showing up. On the other hand, wasn’t the Paris unity march sort of odd? Where was the unity march with world leaders when the US was attacked on 911? Where was it when London was attacked? Where was it when Australia was attacked last month? Where is the unity march for the 2,000 people murdered in Nigeria last week by the Muslim group Boko Haram? We could even make the argument that France wasn’t even united. How can a nation call itself united when the fastest growing political party in France over the last decade, le Pen’s “far-right” National Front, is banned from the unity marches?
Let’s be perfectly honest about the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. This rag is disgusting and vulgar. They have depicted Jesus Christ in the most obscene ways imaginable, just as they have depicted the false prophet Muhammad. Does this mean they deserve to be firebombed and murdered? Of course not. It’s important to note that only Muslims attack over vulgar satire. Having said that, do we conservatives here in the United States really want to rally around Charlie Hebdo as the symbol of free speech in the west? This is an especially important questions for conservatives who are also Christians. While Charlie Hebdo may have the right to print their vulgar magazine, we do not need to rally around that magazine as a symbol of free speech in the west. Not rallying around Charlie Hebdo doesn’t mean we support barbarian Muslim terrorists. Quite the contrary, it means we’ve thought about the magazine and decided it isn’t worth rallying around even when we’re very much opposed to the Muslim terrorist attacks against it.
Obviously President Obama didn’t show up in Paris because le Pen’s National Front was banned from the unity march or because Charlie Hebdo is vulgar and not worth defending free speech over. He also didn’t show up because he found it odd that leaders from around the world showed up for a French unity march but did not show up after other terrorist attacks. He isn’t even playing the race card by either going to Nigeria or demanding everyone go there as an act of unity against Boko Haram. That leaves the question why he didn’t show up. One could reach the conclusion that because the administration has supported Muslim extremists like the Muslim Brotherhood in the past Obama is reluctant to push back against Muslim extremists even after a major terrorist attack. Considering that in Syria Obama has supported al Qaeda, perhaps he’s unwilling to oppose them publicly in Paris.
The more likely conclusion is that Obama is just lazy and didn’t want to go to Paris. Perhaps he thinks the United States had no interest in being represented at the unity march. Perhaps more likely, the President didn’t feel like going to Paris and his staff failed to grasp the enormity of what was going to happen. In doing so they missed the photo op of a lifetime for Obama, who surely would have been right in the middle next to French President Francois Hollande. Not even the Vice President showed up, which suggests that the administration really didn’t grasp what was going on in Paris. Or perhaps it suggests that they just didn’t care. After all, this is an administration that is very reluctant to call acts by Muslims terrorism. Perhaps the President didn’t really want to be associated with a demonstration against something he would likely call a local criminal act if it happened here in the United States.
No matter what Obama’s reason for not going to Paris is, the fact that he didn’t go isn’t something to get excited about. Nigerian Christians are being murdered by the thousand by Boko Haram, American Christians should be far more disturbed by those events. Charlie Hebdo is a vulgar, disgusting rag and isn’t the symbol of free speech in the west. If it is such a symbol, it’s only a symbol of how far we’ve fallen from our historic Christian roots. Why exactly does the world have to be unified against Muslim barbarians over Paris but not over Boston, London or Sydney? The answer of course is that the Paris attacks were an attack against free speech but again we’re talking about the most vulgar form of free speech. We can defend free speech without lowering ourselves to the level of Charlie Hebdo. Whatever Obama’s reasons for not going to Paris, he ultimately made the right decision. Our President does not need to participate in a unity day for the French people. Especially a unity day that explicitly excludes certain Frenchmen based on their political views.
Some things you do because it’s the right thing to do. This was one.
You have four million people across France demonstrating and for a change Baraq had a chance to be on the right side of history.
Naturally, he missed it.
I can understand not sending Biden. He might molest Angie Merkel in front of the cameras or otherwise do something ridiculous. Of course this assumes that Obama should send someone, which I’m not convinced is the case.
The only place I want the President of the United States to “show up” is at the American governor’s palace in Riyadh to receive tribute from the former king of Saudi Arabia, before he flies to Islamabad to visit the Indian Commander-in-Chief, Former Pakistan Region.
It’s absolutely true that Christians didn’t murder people over the faux art called “piss Christ.” Likewise when Charlie Hebdo depicted Christ in equally vile ways believers did not shoot up the newsroom or firebomb them. We prayed for them instead.
Just because someone has a right to do something doesn’t mean we have to rally around them when something bad happens because they’ve exercised a right. Charlie Hebdo had the right to depict Muhammad as they did and the Muslim terrorist attacks against the magazine are outrageous and despicable. However, we don’t need to rally around a magazine who abuses free speech and free press. My objection isn’t that they mocked Muhammad. My objection is that they did it in a vulgar way. In addition they’ve blasphemed Christ. While they have the right to do these things, I’m under no obligation to rally around them or otherwise support their vulgar exercise of rights.
Why is the American President obligated to show up in France because four million Frenchmen are demonstrating? I’ve never known an America obligated to support the French, or anyone, simply because a number of them are rallying.
What bothers me most about the demonstrations is that the French barred the opposition National Front from participating. I by no means support the National Front across the board (they are socialists after all). But it’s a little bit disingenuous for the French ruling socialists to organize a demonstration in favor of free speech and freedom generally while barring participation by what could end up being their main opposition in the next election.
He was wrong to not go or send a high level replacement—like Biden, Kerry, or even Hillary. He could have sent his wife... But NO!
My point is there is no such thing as 'abusing' free speech, with two notable exceptions: 1) Using free speech to commit financial fraud, or 2) Using free speech to incite and directly cause a riot. (the infamous "Fire" in a crowded theater example).
I’m under no obligation to rally around them or otherwise support their vulgar exercise of rights.
Then don't. No one is forcing your allegiance.
I, on the other hand, understand this to be a deeper, anti-Muslim movement. "Charlie Hebo" is an excuse. I'm rallying.
Dude. Four MILLION! The French routinely revolt. This might end up being that. Get ahead of the deal.
What bothers me most about the demonstrations is that the French barred the opposition National Front from participating.
That is a big ol' barrel of suck. If I was NF, I'd be there anyways, with poppin' big banners and everything.
The march and rally was nothing but one large selfie. That is the extent of our generation in terms of progress and development.
The march and rally does much to take away the responsibility of the French government. They continued to allow a Islamic radical to run around and develop this little plan of terror.
No wonder Hollande and Merkel were there! It was their only way of showing like they were 'doing' something.
Nothing makes a liberal feel good like a good rally or march. Pathetic.
There is no excusing the anti-Semitism involved. It reminds of a British fellow who said in response to the suffering of the Jews and some Jews righteous anger against it, You Jews are so accustomed [to being persecuted]. It has everything to do with Judenhass and it should be condemned.
If it is anti-Semitic to not note that Israel has been the victim of Muslim terrorism, is it racist not to note the black victims of Muslim terrorism in Nigeria or Sudan?
I don’t feel it’s necessary to cite every single example of Muslim terrorism in order to get a point across. I left out a lot of examples, choosing to cite largely American (9-11, Boston), recent (Sydney, Nigeria, Paris) and one major historic attack in London. I left out multiple terrorist attacks in Canada, Israel, China, Indonesia, India and throughout the middle east. This isn’t an example of racism or anti-semitism, it’s an example of a writer only having so much space to write in.
Using the right of free speech and press to say and print vulgar things is an abuse of that freedom. Pornography is an abuse of free speech. Mocking Jesus Christ by depicting him having sex with his disciples is an abuse of free speech. You may be able to print all of these things and you may be free to say equally vulgar things. I may support your right to be vulgar but I don’t need to take to the streets to support your right when a Muslim barbarian shoots up your newsroom.
By entering the streets in support of free speech in the case of Charlie Hebdo, that support shifts from a general support of free speech to a support of specific content. While I have no problem with a paper mocking the false prophet Muhammad, I do object to how Charlie Hebdo has done it.
This is why I don’t think Obama should have gone. To show up at the demonstration sends the message that he supports what Charlie Hebdo has done. Obama’s offense level on this matter is likely low, for him any mockery of Muhammad is verboten. For me and I would hope for Christians the issue isn’t the mockery of a false prophet but the vulgar manner in which it was done. In addition, Charlie Hebdo has a long history of doing the same to the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, by showing up at the demonstration Obama would have signaled support for Charlie Hebdo, not simply free speech. As such, I really don’t have a problem with him not showing. Charlie Hebdo isn’t worth rallying around.
“He could have sent his wife... But NO!”
Michelle actually do something for this country other than monitor our kids school lunches? The only time she gets on a AF1 is for vacation.
I did not realize that France was part of the US. Their internal self inflicted problem does not require the presence of the president of the US to prance in a stupid dog and pony show. Until France gets rid of its immigrant populations this stuff is going to happen. Since they are too weak to get rid of that population this stuff is going to happen. And because that population is outbreeding them,the country is going to be Islamic in 30 years anyway. Where was the French president after 911? I don’t recall that he even lowered a flag. And why a march at all? These people sat in the cafes and shrugged their shoulders when thousands of Catholics were driven from Mosul or killed.
there is NO EXCUSE..... he is a lazy, commie, muslim terrorist supporter as well as a racist. he showed his support for the islamic terrorists AGAIN... the absence was his statement...
“Yes, the march means nothing, but this is a matter of optics.
Bibi was there. Sarah would have been there. That says it all.”
That’s because they are both against Islamo Tyrants in general.
Agreed. FINALLY he saved taxpayers some money.
They called it a “Unity Meeting” but they didn’t invite the person who is the favorite to win the French Presidency in 2017, Marine Le Pen.
That’s what this march was all about, these feeble leaders trying to convince people that they need not vote for the “Extreme Right” to solve their Islam problem.
Embarrassing if he goes or embarrassing if he doesn’t.
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