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
The Psychopath’s Argument: Free Speech Kills People
by Dr. Nicolai Sennels
“But she’s asking for it! She knows I’ll beat her if she says things like that. And still she says it — it’s like she’s begging me to hit her!”
This is the typical psychopathic husband’s explanation for domestic violence, and as an experienced psychologist I can smell this kind of sick logic from miles away. Unfortunately, far too often this is also the explanation given by the media, politicians, and not least violent Muslims when they explain the Islamists’ aggressive reactions to cartoons and Quran-burnings. We are even responsible when Muslims run amok and commit terror after we create art or satire based on their prophet and religion. Either we cease to tease and criticize, or we must accept the consequences.
Jyllands-Posten and Kurt Westergaard have been held responsible for more than a hundred deaths — often trampled by their fellow Muslims — in the wake of the publication of the famous Mohammed cartoons. The same accusations now hit Terry Jones and his minister colleague Wayne Sapp, as eleven UN staff in Afghanistan were killed by Muslims in response to Jones’ and Sapp’s Quran-burning event. Several of the UN staff were beheaded.
But drawings and Quran burnings do not kill. They do not trample people to death and they do not chop their heads off. Only people do such things.
Read more »
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2011/04/psychopaths-argument-free-speech-kills.html#more
And then we tell them the NYTimes building is a sacred Jewish Synagogue, and warn them against blowing that up...
You’re on a roll now. I like that one almost as well. See how reasonable I can be when you speak my language and whisper sweet nothings in my ear?
Now I realize that burning the q-book is for pikers. THAT I can criticize.
I declare to the world that should any Koran arrives in America or is printed here will be burnt as a gesture of our defiance, no matter the consequences freedom will survive and we will use whatever means to disrupt, demoralize or to stand in the way of enemies that wish harm to us.
We will create a virtual fence of burning Korans.
And I take heart that every Koran burnt also is another dagger to the persons that hold it above everything else, including the current POTUS.
And to those that believe in Islam that read this very post what you think is just an isolated Koran or Quran burning is just a fraction of what is happening all across America.
Behind every blade of grass is a person with a match ready to burn your most sacred books.And we are training our next generation on how to burnt your holy books.
You think you have captured America with your Islamic raised Imam that became the President of the United States of America, we allow it to continue to draw you out and into the open, we know where you are, and we KNOW your weakness.
It stood up to evil. If you aren't willing to stand up to an evil which kills uninvolved innocents over a stupid book-burning, then what stand can you be expected to take?
I think we misjudged the Con Man’s true motive here. It seems he thinks that the q burning was not significant ENOUGH. If you are going to provoke these maniacs, do something worthy of their provocation. Like blow their freaking mosque to kingdom come. Now THAT is a worthy task.
Query, Tex. If jones had blown a whole warehouse full of q books, would that be more signifiant and therefore more worthy in your eyes?
But yes, I believe in giving them a good reason to be pissed...something meaningful...The Crusades come to mind.
Here, here! Double aye. Where to begin. So many korans. So little time.
WHY did I know that? Something in the way you move............
I’ll respect Jones’ symbolic gesture when he flies to Afghanistan and lights up a Koran on the steps of a Mosque after Friday prayers.
...attracts me like no other poster.
Nor can anyone who isn't a Muslim, including Muslim women (whose slightest transgressions get them stoned or beheaded) and politicians (of any persuasion) who believe that prostituting themselves and their cities, counties, states and countries to Islam's demands will earn them Islamic respect.
I do believe completely the one thing Muslims can and do respect are when we fight them...when we appease or dance in circles it emboldens them greatly. Thus we see the Islamic push on full march today.
At the heart of Islam is not a God...rather the clerics, imans, and political leaders bent on keeping the people in submission...and control of. Anyone who believes that these wars and squirmishes world wide in the ME are to gain freedom has their head in the sands. The leadership of iran and syria are in full push mode....to esrablish ISlamic leadership throughout the ME...and make no mistake..we will see a merge of Sunni and Shia when push comes to shove.
Something in your style that shows me...
Happy Sunday....again. ROFL
I love Sundays in Texas!
That is already happening. This month’s inspire has nothing but praise for all muslims who are doing jihad for the ummah.
And they love You...and your occasional reasonableness...
You will? The illogic of your argument is that you would prefer for him to do to a greater extent exactly what you claim his is doing in a lesser form. You claim that burning a Koran in the US is incitement enough, but you would approve of burning one at a mosque, in Afghanistan, after a Friday's bottoms-up? Please explain how that would be less likely to incite.
You wouldn't happen to have a source for cheap korans, would you?
I understand the ME Leadership is actually promoting Shia and Sunni’s come together for the return of the Muadi...which is really a front for taking over the world against the “infidels”.
BTW...Interesting how Russia is pretty much silent these days....not for long though...we’ll see them raising up in time....just waiting for the dust to settle in the Me and then they’ll go in for the kill of using the ME players to assist them in the mad rush to the south...using Israel, and the defeat of, as bait to gather them together.
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