Muhammad Cartoon Contest in Garland Tx. Hundreds of ISIS In America (2 Viewers)

[Ditkaless Wonders]

The only way to solve this thread is for someone to host a "draw a giant dong on Jesus" contest in Kansas or Missouri.

In the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the ... holy #### that's a big one.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The only way to solve this thread is for someone to host a "draw a giant dong on Jesus" contest in Kansas or Missouri.

I'm not running the search but I'm guessing if you want to see it it is available on the US internet.

Say whatever happened to that movie "Innocence of the Muslims" that was posted on Youtube?

 

[timschochet]

The only way to solve this thread is for someone to host a "draw a giant dong on Jesus" contest in Kansas or Missouri.

I'm not running the search but I'm guessing if you want to see it it is available on the US internet.

Say whatever happened to that movie "Innocence of the Muslims" that was posted on Youtube?

Is that the one that started the Benghazi riot?

 

[Clifford]

You have a right to believe whatever you want to believe. You do not have a right to threaten, harass, beat, or kill people for not honoring what you believe.

The Muslims who ignored this (apparently all but two, assuming the shooters were Muslim) did it right.

Media who describe this, as the "Daily Beast" did as "akin to anti-Semitism or racism" are being kinda dumb. This is a reaction to the reactions, not racism. If no attacks on the Dutch guy or Hebdo this does not happen.

 

[Hov34]

I'm as big of a supporter of free speech as there is but how would these hillbillies have reacted if an Islamic group began desecrating American flags in the other side of the street. They would have lost their ####.

Just because you have the right to do something doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do.

You think the "hillbillies" would have shot at the Islamic group desecrating the American flag? You really think that?

 

[shadrap]

Who won the art contest?

 

[culdeus]

oops, swat team.

 

[Limp Ditka]

The only way to solve this thread is for someone to host a "draw a giant dong on Jesus" contest in Kansas or Missouri.

The only way to solve this thread is for someone to host a "draw a giant dong on Jesus" contest in Kansas or Missouri.

When it comes to drawing dongs, MC Gas Money is the man for the job.

 

[timschochet]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

The folks who put this on knew exactly what they were doing. They were making a point, and they knew full well it would probably elicit a terrorist act by some Muslim whack-job who doesn't realize he lives in a country where free speech is part of the territory. And now there are two less of those whack-jobs. There's your upside I guess.

And a security man was wounded. And police had to put themselves at risk. And the public was put at risk. And in addition to all that, it will probably cost the local government thousands of dollars before it's all done, if not more. All to supposedly protect freedom of speech. Which I don't even believe. I think they're deliberately trying to insult Muslims and incite violence. It's stupid and callous IMO.

I think we should have done more of this to be honest. There's not many things worth making a point of, or fighting for. Freedom of speech is one of them.

I've been thinking more about this post, and just how terrible this idea is. You seem like a nice guy General Tso, but some of your notions are just very strange IMO.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

 

[whoknew]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

One of the dead confirmed as a suspected terrorist well known to the FBI and ISIS claiming both dead were 'Pro-ISIS'. Also they were loaded with explosives when killed.

Linky, linky, from Daily Mail (UK)

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

See above post about explosives. I don't know if camo was absolutely necessary but they showed up when called upon and saved many lives.

 

[Pots]

I'm as big of a supporter of free speech as there is but how would these hillbillies have reacted if an Islamic group began desecrating American flags in the other side of the street. They would have lost their ####.

Just because you have the right to do something doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do.

Pretty sure they wouldn't have gone over with the intent to shoot them all... but hey, call them hillbillies in a flawed attempt at making a point and make yourself look foolish.

 

[Pots]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

You find the some of the strangest things to complain about.

 

[General Tso]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

Texas ain't a jungle mate

and a meat jacket is no cartoon

I can appreciate your greater point In a context of time and place. That is at the heart of legally defined obscenity for instance. So this contest might be insensitive for downtown Baghdad let's say.But This IS Texas. Free speech aside which should be a guarantee and a given, it's not like they staged this in Detroit or Paterson nj or another Predominantly or majorly dominant Muslim enclave.

I'm all for free speech of course, I just don't understand potentially inviting death just because you can. Those cartoons make a small amount of people want to kill the people responsible for them. Yes, that's crazy and wrong but that doesn't mean you announce and hold a big cartoon contest event. You can have your contest but if you die was it worth it? For me, no.

Can't say this is the hill I would want to fall on but i also wouldn't expect grave risk in Gardner Texas at such an event.

What about where you live? Would you paint a muhammad cartoon on big sheet and hang it in front of your house? Would you take a picture of it and then post the picture all over the internet along with your address?

Or would you speak out against Islam's horrific behavior the last few years? Would you write anything that could be construed as anti-Islam on an Internet message board where, as we know, no one is truly anonymous?See where I am going with this? Freedom doesn't get taken from you bit by bit. It's a gradual bleed. And freedoms are usually taken away by intimidation that gets progressively worse as it goes on and the bully becomes emboldened seeing his actions go unchecked.

 

[Clifford]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I'm as big of a supporter of free speech as there is but how would these hillbillies have reacted if an Islamic group began desecrating American flags in the other side of the street. They would have lost their ####.

Just because you have the right to do something doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do.

This is provably untrue. A bunch of black students are currently desecrating the flag at Valdosta State as a means of protesting police brutality (I think), and the worst that's happened is that somebody tried to steal their flag. No violence otherwise.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/04/american-flags-center-campus-controversies

Edit: This kind of goes without saying, but for the record I strongly support the students' right to to make their point in this manner, even if it's in poor taste.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

She was asking for it -- look at how she was dressed.

 

[timschochet]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

She was asking for it -- look at how she was dressed.

Bad, bad analogy.

First because nobody here has sought to justify the radical Muslim reaction to attacks against Muhammad. And second because having a contest of Muhammad cartoons really is an attempt to incite violence. Forget how she was dressed, suppose she was wearing a sign which read, "Please rape me!" Freedom of speech? Sure? Justifying rape? Of course not. Inciting rape and just plain stupid? Absolutely.

 

[General Tso]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

The folks who put this on knew exactly what they were doing. They were making a point, and they knew full well it would probably elicit a terrorist act by some Muslim whack-job who doesn't realize he lives in a country where free speech is part of the territory. And now there are two less of those whack-jobs. There's your upside I guess.

And a security man was wounded. And police had to put themselves at risk. And the public was put at risk. And in addition to all that, it will probably cost the local government thousands of dollars before it's all done, if not more. All to supposedly protect freedom of speech. Which I don't even believe. I think they're deliberately trying to insult Muslims and incite violence. It's stupid and callous IMO.

I think we should have done more of this to be honest. There's not many things worth making a point of, or fighting for. Freedom of speech is one of them.

I think there needs to be a campaign explaining freedom of speech to some people.

what do you mean?

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

You know what they say...

"If you try to put a necktie on a raccoon don't be surprised if you end up losing your TV remote."

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

You know what they say...

"If you try to put a necktie on a raccoon don't be surprised if you end up losing your TV remote."

Oh yeah, that ol' ditty, why my granpappy used to say [muffled]...

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Hey, when you check books out of the library on badminton with a fake ID...don't come crying to me when Vic Tayback molests your Keds.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

She was asking for it -- look at how she was dressed.

Bad, bad analogy.

First because nobody here has sought to justify the radical Muslim reaction to attacks against Muhammad. And second because having a contest of Muhammad cartoons really is an attempt to incite violence. Forget how she was dressed, suppose she was wearing a sign which read, "Please rape me!" Freedom of speech? Sure? Justifying rape? Of course not. Inciting rape and just plain stupid? Absolutely.

I think that analogy is perfectly fine. Trotting out the "well they were asking for it" line is undiluted victim-blaming.

Edit: In the example I posted above with the black students walking on the flag, if some yahoo showed up and started shooting them, not a single person would try to make excuses for why a violent reaction was expected. It's only when Muslims are involved that that excuse makes an appearance.

 

[B-Deep]

sometimes there's just a lot of dumb on all sides of an event.

 

[General Tso]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

The folks who put this on knew exactly what they were doing. They were making a point, and they knew full well it would probably elicit a terrorist act by some Muslim whack-job who doesn't realize he lives in a country where free speech is part of the territory. And now there are two less of those whack-jobs. There's your upside I guess.

And a security man was wounded. And police had to put themselves at risk. And the public was put at risk. And in addition to all that, it will probably cost the local government thousands of dollars before it's all done, if not more. All to supposedly protect freedom of speech. Which I don't even believe. I think they're deliberately trying to insult Muslims and incite violence. It's stupid and callous IMO.

I think we should have done more of this to be honest. There's not many things worth making a point of, or fighting for. Freedom of speech is one of them.

I've been thinking more about this post, and just how terrible this idea is. You seem like a nice guy General Tso, but some of your notions are just very strange IMO.

Yeah, I probably came off sounding a little too harsh last night. Willie was on his meds and I was on the rag.

What I meant by my statement is that we should have done more after Charlie Hebdo to show everyone that freedom of expression is non-negotiable. Are there better ways of doing that than an overt provocation like this? Absolutely. That being said, I don't really object to this event. It was done away from the general public, by people who knew the risk and were electing to assume the risk, and I believe they did it to prove a point - a very important point. Clifford said it best - if it wasn't for Charlie Hebdo this event never would have happened. It was in response to a direct assault on freedom of expression. I don't believe it was done just to piss off Muslims, though I'm not naive enough to believe that the may have been some of that bigotry interspersed throughout the crowd of 40 rednecks.

And you seem like a nice guy too Tim. Sometimes I think you might be a little too nice, but that's alright by me.

 

[urbanhack]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris

How can you possibly compare these two events? There were no scheduled events involving Hebdo, it was an ambush.

 

[whoknew]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

You find the some of the strangest things to complain about.

What do you mean? The militarization of the police is a very real issue. And its one that I would think conservatives would be all over. At least those that care at all about civil liberties.

 

[whoknew]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

See above post about explosives. I don't know if camo was absolutely necessary but they showed up when called upon and saved many lives.

When is camo ever necessary for US cops?

From whom are they hiding? And how does camo even help them hide (if that were a legit goal) in US cities?

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I try to remember that freedom to speak also entails the freedom, and potentially the responsibility to not do so. In the abstract I support the right of the organizers to have put on this event. Not being blind I believe that they meant to be deliberately provocative. That too is their right, and is certainly an element of protected speech, and of the need to protect speech, but I always hope for a bit higher discourse than that provided by provocation.

I do not believe that the point being made here needed to be made in such a ham-handed manner. The outcome here was wholly predictable, and the surprise, if any, is that the consequences were not more dire.

It would be ideal, I suppose, if awareness could be raised absent the inflammation of passions. That would have, in my estimation, been best here, in Ferguson, in Baltimore, and in the next locale which will arise all too soon.

 

[General Tso]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

Not sure I should be continuing with the animal analogy, but bear with me. Is it totally unreasonable to assume that the better way of dealing with a biting animal is to train it not to bite? And the only way to do such training is to present him with a condition that would normally elicit a bite.

I just said a few posts back that I think the Western world could have handled things better after Charlie Hebdo. Yeah, there was a big puffy display of "Je sis Charlie" but it was mostly bull####, especially here in the US. Most of the media in the US wouldn't even show the controversial cartoons at the heart of the issue. We needed to stand firm and united on our non-negotiable freedoms back them. Instead, we placed a higher value on our own personal safety and the feelings of Muslims, leaving the battle to be fought by a bunch of brave people in Texas.

 

[General Tso]

I'm as big of a supporter of free speech as there is but how would these hillbillies have reacted if an Islamic group began desecrating American flags in the other side of the street. They would have lost their ####.

Just because you have the right to do something doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do.

This is provably untrue. A bunch of black students are currently desecrating the flag at Valdosta State as a means of protesting police brutality (I think), and the worst that's happened is that somebody tried to steal their flag. No violence otherwise.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/04/american-flags-center-campus-controversies

Edit: This kind of goes without saying, but for the record I strongly support the students' right to to make their point in this manner, even if it's in poor taste.

As do I. Personally I HATE flag burning. My Dad almost died in WWII fighting for that flag. It's borderline fighting words for me. But I have also been against any initiative to ban flag burning, and if a flag burning was done out of principal in defiance of people who had murdered a whole group of flag burners in Paris I would actually support that particular act.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

See above post about explosives. I don't know if camo was absolutely necessary but they showed up when called upon and saved many lives.

When is camo ever necessary for US cops?

From whom are they hiding? And how does camo even help them hide (if that were a legit goal) in US cities?

WK, in the abstract I probably agree with you, but that's pretty much the B-story here. They just saved a bunch of people. And let's face it terrorists showed up with AK47's and explosives, that's a pretty military situation.

 

[Clifford]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

She was asking for it -- look at how she was dressed.

Bad, bad analogy.First because nobody here has sought to justify the radical Muslim reaction to attacks against Muhammad. And second because having a contest of Muhammad cartoons really is an attempt to incite violence. Forget how she was dressed, suppose she was wearing a sign which read, "Please rape me!" Freedom of speech? Sure? Justifying rape? Of course not. Inciting rape and just plain stupid? Absolutely.

I think that analogy is perfectly fine. Trotting out the "well they were asking for it" line is undiluted victim-blaming.

Edit: In the example I posted above with the black students walking on the flag, if some yahoo showed up and started shooting them, not a single person would try to make excuses for why a violent reaction was expected. It's only when Muslims are involved that that excuse makes an appearance.

The track record has been established with Muslims. If anything it's an indictment of Muslim extremism, not trying to make them a protected class. I'm just saying the organizers created this event with the knowledge that it would definitely provoke violence and that was 100% the intent. I do not in any way think we should stop insisting that the Muslim religion be treated the same as any other religion, and any speech against it should be as protected as any other form of speech.

If the point of this event was "if you depict Mohammed some Muslims will try to kill people" I think that point has already been made. Same with "this is America, we can do what we want"

 

[whoknew]

WK, in the abstract I probably agree with you, but that's pretty much the B-story here. They just saved a bunch of people. And let's face it terrorists showed up with AK47's and explosives, that's a pretty military situation.

I understand. Its definitely the B story. And it appears that the cops did a good job here.

But I bring this up because its an important issue. You said this was a "pretty military situation." But its not. This was a situation with US citizens on US soil. That's a policing situation. And the goals of the police - to protect and serve the community - are very different than those of a military. Its an important distinction that needs to be preserved and, unfortunately, those lines are blurring more every day.

 

[SoBeDad]

I get both sides here. One the one hand, we can't be cowed by international bullies and that's exactly what some muslims are trying to do: scare and bully the world into honoring what they believe.

On the other hand, poking an animal with a stick will cause the animal to bite. Pretty simple here.

She was asking for it -- look at how she was dressed.

Bad, bad analogy.

First because nobody here has sought to justify the radical Muslim reaction to attacks against Muhammad. And second because having a contest of Muhammad cartoons really is an attempt to incite violence. Forget how she was dressed, suppose she was wearing a sign which read, "Please rape me!" Freedom of speech? Sure? Justifying rape? Of course not. Inciting rape and just plain stupid? Absolutely.

I think you're right but wasn't Geert Wilders cleared by a Dutch court of inciting violence? How would you have felt about just a screening of Wilders' movie?

 

[Jobber]

Well, two less terrorists who in the future may have shot up a mall, school, church, etc.

 

[Willie Neslon]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

Texas ain't a jungle mate

and a meat jacket is no cartoon

I can appreciate your greater point In a context of time and place. That is at the heart of legally defined obscenity for instance. So this contest might be insensitive for downtown Baghdad let's say.But This IS Texas. Free speech aside which should be a guarantee and a given, it's not like they staged this in Detroit or Paterson nj or another Predominantly or majorly dominant Muslim enclave.

I'm all for free speech of course, I just don't understand potentially inviting death just because you can. Those cartoons make a small amount of people want to kill the people responsible for them. Yes, that's crazy and wrong but that doesn't mean you announce and hold a big cartoon contest event. You can have your contest but if you die was it worth it? For me, no.

Can't say this is the hill I would want to fall on but i also wouldn't expect grave risk in Gardner Texas at such an event.

What about where you live? Would you paint a muhammad cartoon on big sheet and hang it in front of your house? Would you take a picture of it and then post the picture all over the internet along with your address?

No, but I also assume youre not Willie Nelson, so the internet is not inherently rooted in disclosure.

I live in the suburbs, I would expect nothing beyond the local zoning busy bodies if I put anything on a sheet and hung it on my house.

Correct, I am not Willie Nelson, I am Willie Neslon

 

[Ditka Butkus]

Inciting people just because you can seems like a bad idea...What if somebody wanted to make fun of black people by having an art contest. I wonder how that would go over.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

What the title makes me think almost every time.

 

[hxperson]

Just skimmed the article on Yahoo. Dang why are all the people in the pictures so fat? These people should spend more time in the gym and less time worry about free speech imo.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Inciting people just because you can seems like a bad idea...What if somebody wanted to make fun of black people by having an art contest. I wonder how that would go over.

Well...you can't argue with that.

 

[glvsav37]

Why are cops wearing camouflage?

These were Garland town cops, 40 guys, who knew there was a risky situation and showed up prepared for it. Instead of Hebdo/Paris or Copenhagen, with a chase, dead innocent civilians (let's guess what two men with AK47's and possibly explosives would have done in a closed small town convention center), Synagogues and Jewish citizens under attack or threat, we ended up with two dead terrorists and a single cop who checked in for aid and then was checked out.

Let's hear it for the cops.

None of that supports why they were wearing camouflage. From who are they hiding? Aren't they trying to do the exact opposite of hiding? And how would camos even help if they were trying to hide?

Its just more of the militarization of police in the US and its horse####.

See above post about explosives. I don't know if camo was absolutely necessary but they showed up when called upon and saved many lives.

they were trying to blend in with the patrons

 

[3C's]

What the title makes me think almost every time.

Thank Allah it wasn't just me. I see Muhammed Ali Cartoon Contest every time. Well past time for Lasik I guess.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

You have the freedom of speech....You also have the freedom to get your a** kicked if someone takes offense to what you say.

 

[squidrope]

Inciting people just because you can seems like a bad idea...What if somebody wanted to make fun of black people by having an art contest. I wonder how that would go over.

Even worse.An "art contest" making fun of white people.

I might not be able to control my rage if that ever happened.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

You have the freedom of speech....You also have the freedom to get your a** kicked if someone takes offense to what you say.

No, actually you don't. Violence is never a justifiable response to speech that you don't like, and our laws are written with that idea in mind.

 

[Willie Neslon]

What is the upside in hosting a muhammad comic contest? Who thought that was a goods idea?

It's called free speech, and a big middle finger to all those who can't handle it.

You can wear what you want too but a jacket made of meat is not a good choice for a jungle hike.

Texas ain't a jungle mate

and a meat jacket is no cartoon

I can appreciate your greater point In a context of time and place. That is at the heart of legally defined obscenity for instance. So this contest might be insensitive for downtown Baghdad let's say.But This IS Texas. Free speech aside which should be a guarantee and a given, it's not like they staged this in Detroit or Paterson nj or another Predominantly or majorly dominant Muslim enclave.

I'm all for free speech of course, I just don't understand potentially inviting death just because you can. Those cartoons make a small amount of people want to kill the people responsible for them. Yes, that's crazy and wrong but that doesn't mean you announce and hold a big cartoon contest event. You can have your contest but if you die was it worth it? For me, no.

Can't say this is the hill I would want to fall on but i also wouldn't expect grave risk in Gardner Texas at such an event.

What about where you live? Would you paint a muhammad cartoon on big sheet and hang it in front of your house? Would you take a picture of it and then post the picture all over the internet along with your address?

Or would you speak out against Islam's horrific behavior the last few years? Would you write anything that could be construed as anti-Islam on an Internet message board where, as we know, no one is truly anonymous?See where I am going with this? Freedom doesn't get taken from you bit by bit. It's a gradual bleed. And freedoms are usually taken away by intimidation that gets progressively worse as it goes on and the bully becomes emboldened seeing his actions go unchecked.

I would write and say anything I believed. I would think twice however if expressing something could cause harm to me or my family. My life is more important than making a point. There is no law in place saying you can't draw, publish these cartoons. I would be obviously opposed a law like that but that doesn't mean I'd host a cartoon contest at my house.

 

[General Tso]

I try to remember that freedom to speak also entails the freedom, and potentially the responsibility to not do so. In the abstract I support the right of the organizers to have put on this event. Not being blind I believe that they meant to be deliberately provocative. That too is their right, and is certainly an element of protected speech, and of the need to protect speech, but I always hope for a bit higher discourse than that provided by provocation.

I do not believe that the point being made here needed to be made in such a ham-handed manner. The outcome here was wholly predictable, and the surprise, if any, is that the consequences were not more dire.

Just curious, what are your feelings about the Boston Tea Party?