  |
Posted on 04/03/2006 12:39:42 PM PDT by Dark Skies
If the government does not protect our freedom of speech by force, America will join Europe’s climate of self-censorship.
Europeans are all too well acquainted with the fear of criticizing Islam.
To cite just a few of depressingly many examples: a painter, Rashid Ben Ali, is forced into hiding after one of his shows “featured satirical work critical of Islamic militant’s violence”; a politician, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, must go underground after it becomes known that she has renounced her Islamic faith; and a film director, Theo van Gogh, is savagely stabbed to death for making a film critical of Islamic oppression of women. And most recently, of course, there were the Danish cartoons. When the Jyllands-Posten, in order to expose and challenge this climate of intimidation, printed an article and accompanying cartoons, some of which portrayed Mohammed in a negative light, the response was torched embassies, cries for government censorship, and death threats.
It appears that we should now begin to get used to a similar climate in America.
Borders and Waldenbooks stores have just announced that they will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because the issue reprints some of the cartoons. Is the decision based on disagreement with the content of the magazine? No, not according to Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham. “For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority.”
Borders Group’s capitulation to Islamic thugs is understandable given the pathetic response of our and other Western governments.
Has any Western government declared that an individual’s freedom of speech is sacrosanct, no matter who screams offense at his ideas? No. Has any Western government proclaimed each individual’s right to life and pledged to hunt down anyone, anywhere, who abets the murder of one of its citizens for having had the effrontery to speak? No–as they did not when the fatwa against Rushdie was issued, American bookstores were firebombed, and Rushdie’s translators were attacked and murdered.
On the contrary, our government went out of its way to say that it shares “the offence that Muslims have taken at these images,” and even hinted that they should not be published. The British police, Douglas Murray reports, told the editor of a London magazine that they could not protect him, his staff, or his offices from attack–so the magazine removed the cartoons from its website. (A few days later, Murray notes, “the police provided 500 officers to protect a ‘peaceful’ Muslim protest in Trafalgar Square.”)
In the face of such outrages, we must demand that the U.S. government reverse its disgraceful stand and fulfill is obligation to protect our right to free speech.
Freedom of speech means the right to express one’s ideas without danger of physical coercion from anyone. This freedom includes the right to make movies, write books, draw pictures, voice political opinions–and satirize religion. This right flows from the right to think: the right to observe, to follow the evidence, to reach the conclusions you judge the facts warrant–and then to convey your thoughts to others.
In a free society, anyone angered by someone else’s ideas has a simple and powerful recourse: don’t buy his books, watch his movies, or read his newspapers. If one judges his ideas dangerous, argue against them. The purveyor of evil ideas is no threat to those who remain free to counter them with rational ones.
But the moment someone decides to answer those he finds offensive with a knife or a homemade explosive, not an argument, he removes himself from civilized society.
Against such a threat to our rights, our government must respond with force. If it fails to do so, it fails to fulfill its reason for being: “to secure these rights,” Jefferson wrote, “Governments are instituted among Men.” And if it fails to do so, we the people must hold it to account.
We must vociferously demand that our government declare publicly that, from this day forward, it will defend by force any American who receives death threats for criticizing Islam–or religion–or any other idea. We must demand that the government protect the stores and employees of Borders, of Waldenbooks, and of any other organization that reprints the cartoons.
We must demand this, because nothing less will prevent America’s climate of freedom from disintegrating into Europe’s climate of fear.
Dr. Onkar Ghate is a senior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute (http://www.aynrand.org/) in Irvine, CA. The Institute has reprinted the 12 Danish cartoons on its Web site as part of its ongoing campaign to bring the Danish cartoons to the widest possible audience–and to arrange a series of panel discussions to discuss the vital need to defend free speech.
These are private companies...They are free to do idiotic things...
Wonder what cartoons, Peanuts or Garfield?
You are also free to stop buying goods from Borders and Waldenbooks...
You can't waive an American flag, either, for fear of offending the Mexicans.
Didn't they defend the sale of photo books of nude teens in their art section? They claimed "censorship" when some would claim THEIR acts were criminal.
I sure hope Borders and Waldenbooks remember to place a picture of this magazine on their September "Banned Books Month" display.
This is about fear and surrender, not "respect" for a religion that was smeared.
Will they start to only carry "fair trade" coffee too since leftists have taken to bombing coffeshops?
Can you buy Juggs or Swank at these book stores?
The last Free Speaker seems to be Carlos Mencia.
I'm optimistic about America's tolerance for Islamic thuggery.
One day, the American public will have had enough and the crackdown will begin.
bump for later digesting
We have to ask how it is being permitted in this day and age.
We've been told that the pro-life movement was tainted because of a handful of clinic bombings.
Why have I never read about a bookstore chain refusing to stock a book encouraging abortions because of the undeclared threat that someone might try to blow up the store?
The right has been demonized in America and the wolves have been given sheep's clothing to appear harmless.
I've said it before... Democrats put party before country, time and time again. They stir up hysteria about talk radio and the threat of "antigovernment types" but partner with black masked anarchists to riot in the streets (er hold peace marches) and ignore the threats of Islamonazism.
"" This is about fear and surrender, not "respect" for a religion that was smeared. ""
Exactly. It's not just a typical business decision. They are afraid for their employee's safety. I don't think people realize what's happening. People and companies are afraid of the muslim's reaction.
I am surprised the government hasn't realized that, at the very minimum, a statement is needed. We, as a country, will not be intimidated into giving up our freedom of the press. If force is required, so be it.
However, instead of a declaration of intent to stand behind the freedom of speech with force, our President made a statement of appeasement (saying that we need to "respect religions)."
I can imagine that he is sufficiently burdened by other problems that this isn't his first priority...but the vacuum of leadership is growing larger day-by-day.
Looks like we need a "minuteman" brigade to protect threatened booksellers (that is, if someone actually musters the courage to print and/or sell these cartoons).
|
Nice!!!
This censorship is right in line with the liberal conception of Freedom of Speech and will be difficult to fight because the MSM will whole heartedly go along with it and Democrat and other liberal pols will not oppose it because they support it. Liberals truly believe that a sharia world will be a good thing because the people will be controlled and liberals will naturally be turned to by the imams to run things. Liberals are familiar with the history of infidel viziers and intellectuals utilized by the classical sultans and think that liberals will naturally be drafted by the imams and sultans to fill those positions in the modern sharia world.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.