"....an international incident that has pitted military supporters against free speech advocates and threatens to shut down the local company."
Do those who disagree with the company's e-mail not also have the right of free speech? No reasonable person would countenance death threats but your wording does not make this distinction. Somehow, any statement disagreeing with the anti-war e-mail is in opposition to free speech. In placing "military supporters" on one side and diametrically opposing them with "free speech advocates" your own words leave no room for any other conclusion.
Contrary to leftist dogma and the invited inference in your article, the Constitution does not grant immunity to criticism or disagreement. To pretend otherwise does not support free speech, it supports fascism.
Take a look at the "quotables" box at the link if there is any remaining doubt about the MJS's bias
Well, we know who works there.
These leftists are nuts. They attack conservatives from Pres. Bush on down for their political views every day.
You reap what you sow. No pity here.
BINGO! The same, tired old screed. Hey, the left says, you can't attack free speech, so shut up! Apparently, most of the left thinks free speech means leftist propoganda, free of criticism.
Someone at the company made this political, and now bloggers and radio aren't supposed to comment on it? I guess that "free speech" doesn't apply to them.
Web Site Kicks Sand in Faces of GIs in Iraq Asking for Mats to Ease Hardship of Sleeping on Ground
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,245718,00.html
(video link called 'Request denied' about half way down.
"This is a matter of free speech," said Julie Enslow, an organizer with Peace Action Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "It is totally irresponsible for radio stations and bloggers to attack a person for his personal political views."
It always amazes me how little people understand how freedom of speech works in America - the give and take. Let's see how Alexis De Tocqueville described it back in 1835:
"In America, the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion: within these barriers, an author may write what he pleases; but woe to him if he goes beyond them."
Oh. comeon now, It was John Kerry that answered that e-mail, and he was trying to make a joke. The problem is that conservatives don't understand liberal jokes. /sarc
The Freedom of Speech does not require the hearer to agree, or to give up his equal right to Free Speech..
If folks wish to express their opinion, they should stand ready to defend that expression from those who disagree..
In this case -- it sounds like this "business" has a few folks who need their ugly speaking asses kicked.
Semper Fi
Muslims will continue to "press all the buttons" on peoples emotions -- and one day, the bomb will go off in their faces.
Jihad will become a two way street --- and the dogs of religious/culture war will have been unleashed.
Once that dog is loose -- you have Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan ---- times several orders of magnitude as far as the Islamists are concerned...
Semper Fi
Read my tag. Liberals only are concerned about their free speech. Look at Pelosi and the ways she is trying to slap down conservative grass roots speech. This "company" is in her line of thinking. Perfectly free to dis the military, but don't like it when the shoe is on the other foot.
Peace Action Wisconsin
414-964-5158
website@peaceactionwi.org
The writer here needs a little more education.
Everyone involved here is a US citizen (or at least a US resident and not a diplomat) there can therefore be no international incident.
There is no possibility of a foreign government involvement therefore this is not international incident.
She probably just through that in for dramatic effect. I hate it when they do that. These reporters have no respect for the intelligence of their readers.
I think they just found out that us Patriot Americans are alive and well...
If you come to our country and then bad mouth our troops, expect not to be liked.
If you don't like it then go back to muzzieland.
Everybody in a company has a Boss, and that is the customer. The customer can fire everybody, up to and including the president/owner of a company, simply by taking his business elsewhere.
The owner of this mat company just hasn't learned that basic business premise. Too bad for him. His apology is defensive and gives no facts on what is being done regards his offensive employee. I guess he'd rather believe this incident is about "freedom of speech" or "anti-muslim" sentiment.....oh well, businesses have failed for far less.
Here is the Foxnews version of the story:
Web Site Kicks Sand in Faces of GIs in Iraq Asking for Mats to Ease Hardship of Sleeping on Ground
Tuesday , January 23, 2007
An American GI assigned to one of the harshest posts in Iraq had a simple request last week for a Wisconsin mattress company: send some floor mats to help ease the hardship of sleeping on the cold, bug-infested ground.
What he got, instead, was a swift kick from the company's Web site, which not only refused the request but added insult to injury with the admonition, "If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq."
Army Sgt. Jason Hess, stationed in Taji, Iraq, with the 1st Cavalry Division, said he emailed his request to Discount-mats.com because he and his fellow soldiers sleep on the cold ground, which contains sand mites, sand flies and other disease carriers.
In his email, dated Jan. 16, 2007, he asked the Web-based company, registered to Faisal Khetani, an American Muslim of Pakistani descent:
"Do you ship to APO (military) addresses? I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for ships to APO first."
On the same day, Hess received this reply:
"SGT Hess,
We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.
Bargain Suppliers
Discount-Mats.com"
Khetani on Monday told FOX News that the person responsible for the email reply had been fired. The Web site, meanwhile, has been temporarily taken down.
Hess emailed that he has since found two mat suppliers willing to ship to an APO address in Iraq.