Posted on 04/03/2011 9:02:11 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Terry Jones burned a Koran, and an Afghan mob killed at least seven UN personnel. Connected? Surely, but that hardly makes Jones responsible for murder, he told ABC News in a Nightline interview last night:
CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO OF TERRY JONES' STATEMENT
Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who oversaw the burning of a Koran last month, said he did not feel responsible for the violent protest at a United Nations compound in Afghanistan today that left at least 11 dead. Instead, he said the violence proved his point.
“We wanted to raise awareness of this dangerous religion and dangerous element,” Jones said. “I think [today's attack] proves that there is a radical element of Islam.”
As for the 11 dead, which included seven U.N. staffers and guards, Jones told “Nightline” anchor Bill Weir, “We do not feel responsible, no.”
Interestingly, I had a conversation about this with a family member yesterday. While I agreed that Jones was a publicity hound looking for attention, that doesn’t make him responsible for murder. The only people responsible for murders are those who commit them, and those who specifically incite them to kill. Any other position eventually wipes out free speech, free religious practice, and freedom altogether. If we held others responsible for the acts of every nutcase whose violent reactions may or may not have connections to something they did or said, we would have no speech at all — a point we made repeatedly during the Left’s Loughner frenzy, which they conveniently forgot during the Madison protests.
James Joyner warns today about acknowledging the “murderer’s veto”:
Should Jones have burned the Koran? No. But not because doing so might incite some evil people halfway around the world to commit atrocities against innocents. Rather, he shouldn’t have done it was needlessly hurtful without adding any value to the debate. Indeed, aside from generating publicity for himself, he’s likely generated sympathy for Islam and disdain for churches of his ilk.
But Jones is not the slightest bit culpable for the actions of others. Yes, he was warned that violence might ensue. But we’re not responsible for the evil, illegal actions others might take in response to our freely expressing our thoughts. Even if they’re ill-informed, half baked, bigoted thoughts. If we allow the possible reaction of the most dogmatic, evil people who might hear the message to govern our expression, we don’t have freedom at all. It’s worse than a heckler’s veto; it’s a murderer’s veto.
The responsibility for these murders lie with the people who committed them, just as with the murders and violence following the publication of the editorial cartoons in Denmark a few years ago.
CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO OF TERRY JONES' STATEMENT
Of course it’s not his fault, they just look for any reason to go on a rampage, it could just as easily be a post here at Free Republic that somebody reads in Afghanistan that set them off.
If anything, the savages proved the Pastor’s point.
If the UN actually defended their workers, then it would have nipped it in the bud.
This is a war of dumb vs. dumber.
Terry Jones has succeeded. He has shown in spades the violence of backward Islam overseas, and the political correctness cover Islam has here in the USA.
Which is completely true. The perversity of official positions on this matter should qualify for immediate incarceration in asylums for the criminally insane. Start with your evil and islamic “president”.
Why?
Jones is right, or course. This is a small taste of what the western world will experience as resistance to Islam solidifies. Did Christians all over the world go on a murderous rampage in response to the churches burned in Kosovo? Nope.
Both sides of this argument show that massive inbreeding is never the answer.
They aren’t his fault.
Saudi Arabia confiscates and burns around 600 Bibles a year.
How many Saudis have been killed as a result?
This aught be interesting bump
His stunt is doing nothing but getting people killed. (and BTW, his own daughter agrees with me.)
The islamo-roaches don’t need an excuse to take out their murderous rage on innocent people, they have been doing it for centuries, but in this case Terry Jones at least gave them a front.
Systematic desensitization or adverse repetition therapy actually works. After the 500th public Koran burning, these nutz will not get so excited.
Let’s get started right away.
Hey Rodguy
Have you ever insulted Islam here on FR?
Islam delenda est.
The guy is a attention whore..
And, while we are at it, how about weekly burning of Mohammed’s effigy in the public square?
If you read obama’s statement, FIRST he pronounced infidels guilty and went on to say that no religion tolerates beheading the innocent.
But the first sentence in his statement made the UN workers necessarily guilty. Therefore no “innocent” people were actually killed. Only guilty people.
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