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
For every person they kill I will burn 10 Korans. You have now been warned.
He burned a freaking book. What kind of lunatic would murder people because someone burned their stinking favorite book.
I for one will not hold my tongue and give up my freedom in order not to offend a bunch of psychotics.
I hope some atheist or agnostic burns the holy books of every religion.
The results would be illuminating, even to the blind, a few of whom are posting on this thread.
I'll take your analogy more seriously when I see a YouTube of a burka wearing Pelosi beheading a weeping Boehner shouting Allah Obamacare! Until then...
Petraeus? You mean the general who took over from mcchrystal who is presiding over the raging uptick in American deaths under obama, who has female Marines wearing headscarves so they don’t “offend” the “sensibilities” of the taliban? Who has to be more politician than general? That Petraeus?
Your questions are the most thought provoking that I have seen on FR in along time! Thanks!
Too bad that more people do not understand what the answers to those questions really are and what they really mean.
I would like to add one to the list. When will the Islamists really be satisfied/happy?
“What you said is true. But that doesn’t absolve him of his participation in what is currently happening. He knew what the result would be, but went ahead anyway.”
So your solution would be that we all convert to islam to keep the peace?—Because that is the ONLY goal that islamapigs have.
Why do they kill themselves otherwise?
Why did they fly into our WTC?
Why did they bomb the USS COLE?
Why did they bomb two US Embassies in 1998?
Why did they bomb a US Barracks in Saudi Arabia?
Why did they kill fellow MUSLIMS in protest of a Koran burning?
Why am I supposed to distinguish between radical muslims and peaceful muslims when all they do is kill people no matter who they are being killed?
It is NO LONGER THE POINT that this guy is a clown, it is about our willful submission to Islamic sensitivities instead of the PEACEFUL muslims stopping all the RADICAL muslims!
Submit to ISLAMIC sensitivities or we will have violence!
Submit or we will have violence!
which of the following two stories will the media express the most outrage about?
U.S. pastor says he will put Mohammed ‘on trial’ next as Koran burning sparks second day of violence, leaving 10 dead, 78 injured
Militant Muslim warns Royal wedding terror attack is ‘highly likely’
What possible connection does the ROYAL WEDDING in Great Britain have to do with the Koran Burning by a single man in Florida??
You do realize it is Pastor Jones who is the one not dealing with the consequences of his actions.
He gets to claim some great righteousness while people half way around the world are paying the price for his actions.
If he wants to be a hero, he should fly to Afghanistan and start holding his Koran burning ceremonies in a place where he has to directly deal with the results of his actions.
“...he knew that what he was doing would result in Muslim outrage,”
EVERYTHING results in muslim outrage. What the hell is muslim outrage? It’s their state of mind 24/7. I mean they are born outraged. They go to sleep and wake up outraged. Was terry jones responsible for all the people they killed the day BEFORE he burned their “book” when they had NO EXCUSE AT ALL???
Was terry jones responsible for the massacre of CHILDREN at Itamar?
Some of our enemies died, as well as some of the people who enable them by staying in that third world toilet.
It's a start.
You can delude yourself that, somehow, Islam will become "civilized." When these animals pop a nuke in DC, we'll remind you of this. Islam tolerates no competition. Either Christianity or Islam will prevail, the other will be obliterated, and extermination is Islam's choice. Which side do you prefer?
The pastor had nothing to do with the deaths of people abroad. A sick death cult holds full responsibility. What will you do when the next demand is that everyone in the US convert to Islam to keep people from dying? That is where this is headed. Their ultimate goal is to force the world to bow to Islam, or die if they refuse. Either draw the line here, or face the consequences. Barbarians from overseas should not have the ability to limit our rights over here.
The Islamists have posted a $2 million Fatwa on Pastor Jones already.
If we have one lone Islamist in Florida,and we probably have many, that wants to do his religious duty he will.
Pastor Jones is not hiding.. If you bide your time, he may get the Van Gogh treatment.
I have a hard time believing the number of people who are willing to defend this guy.
The soldiers on the ground are actually killing Taliban. This guy is safe in Florida burning a book and somehow he's the one fighting Islam? Wow!
One suspects that some of these people here think that if we just never, ever insult another Muslim or any of their books, the world will erupt in a giant kumbaya, followed by a massive group hug. Ain’t happenin’.
Patraeus should be more concerned with his own troops committing atrocities on Afghan civilians and taking pictures of the bodies being used a trophies, than with some dumb pastor.
And he has no back-up from the apologists around the world and even in our own government who continue to excuse the actions of those that kill, main, and mutilate in the name of Allah.
Bzzzzt! I never said jones was fighting islam. What I REALLY wonder is why YOU are defending it. Are you a muslim?
There are no consequences to his actions. He burned a useless book. Presumably his own copy of the book. Some mindless idiots in the middle east decided that they needed to murder innocent people because of what he did. It isn't HIS actions that killed people, it's THEIR actions.
Frankly, I'm inspired to burn a Koran myself, video it, and post it up on YouTube for the world to see. If the Islamofascists want to come to Tennessee to try to murder me, let 'em. I have no qualms with defending myself, and would certainly be doing the world a favor by taking out a few of these murderous thugs.
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