Is burning the Qu’ran offensive? Of course it is. So is burning a Bible, the Rig Veda, the Torah, the Dhammaphada, or any other text that people hold to be sacred. Not to mention blowing up churches, Sufi shrines, torching Jewish synagoges and American flags, and of course beheading people with dull butter knives in the name of God.
Nonetheless, as a wonderful friend of mine told me many years ago, the greatest thing about America is that you have the constiutionally protected right to be an a$$#ole. Pastor Jones is simply excercising this right. When anyone speaks of outlawing an offensive act in order not to offend the rights of a minority (or even the majority) then I have a problem. In this case, the proposed remedy is worse than the illness it’s intended to cure. Pastor Jones is an attention-whore, but it’s within his rights to be one. Enough said. As Voltaire once put it, “I disagree with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
This situation was parodied pretty well on comedy central:
South Park is in a panic when Family Guy shows an episode featuring the Muslim prophet Muhammad as a character. The townspeople hide in the Community Center for fear of a terrorist attack when the second half of the two-parter, without censorship, will be shown. Kyle, who likes the show, finds no problem and thinks the censorship is wrong, but Cartman disagrees, declaring that it is right to do this. Kyle thinks that he is faking, but, when Cartman gives an impassioned speech about keeping people from getting hurt, he is guilt-ridden. After thinking terribly of his little brother Ike getting killed by a terrorist bomb, Kyle agrees to go with Cartman to get the episode pulled.The people of South Park, meanwhile, decide to literally bury their heads in the sand, so as to show Islamists that they have no part in the insult.
South Park episodes #142+143: Cartoon Wars Part I+II
Oh fine AbroadAmerican,
Quoting Voltaire now?
Here?