Free Speech and Islam

The latest issue has arisen over a TV program called South Park which I have only seen by accident on probably four or five occasions and for a total time of perhaps forty-five seconds, probably less.  I think the program is stupid and insulting.   I freely admit that I haven’t really given it a fair chance, but I don’t intend to do so either.   However, I understand that South Park planned an episode showing the Islamic prophet Mohammed as a bear, or depicted as a person wrapped in a bearskin - I don’t know which and don’t really care.  Personally, I think that either would be insulting to anyone who might watch it whether they were Muslim or not. 

But now - apparently - death threats by some Islamic organizations have cowed South Park into backing off these presentations.  That is achieving a poor prize at a very dear price.  The very idea that the press can be cowed into submission by threats of terrorism cannot be tolerated.  Yet, on the other hand, the press must also be held accountable by some mechanism to be responsible as well as free.  Personally I am not willing to go to the mat supporting South Park.  

Free Speech is more than just a right.  It is a NEED of any democracy or representative government.   That right also imposes a responsibility to use it fairly, impartially, and with respect because the “speech” which is delivered is not important in itself.  The value of free speech comes from its search for truth, and its accounting for and accurate recording of events.  If it is also malicious and untruthful and done under the protection of “free speech”, then it  assumes a tyrannical nature and thus constitutes an attack on the very principle of free speech itself.  Indeed, to me the very allegation that South Park IS a member of the press is idiotic and out of line.  Yet they cry "Freedom of the Press!"

The Danish cartoonists who depicted the Islamic prophet Mohammed in various poses and did that simply to “prove” they could flaunt the right of free speech without regard to other peoples' feelings.  I have seen those cartoons and thought many of them were instructive and fair and well supported.  Still, their use for that purpose of flaunting the right of free speech alone, in my opinion, was abusive.

Yet there is no way to punish those cartonists or South Park for their extravagances.  They have made fun of one of our major rights and thus have belittled and threatened it.  The right of free speech is extremely important and well worth defending, but I am not willing to defend those cartoonists or South Park because to my mind, they did as much harm to the principle of free speech as did the terrorists who came into our land and traditions after them.

All rights have a sword-like nature in that they can cut both ways.  To paraphrase Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the press IS mightier than the sword yet if it only causes the sword to be drawn against the press, then it has the capacity to destroy all rights.

Women, Children and Gays - In a Nutshell

"Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes."  This from an Iranian cleric, Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi speaking in Tehran this week.  He went on to say that the earthquakes were caused because immodest women had disappointed God.  “There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam's moral codes."  Poor God.  He's got a right to be mad.  How's he going to get them ready for heaven?  Especially when so many of the angels flit around in wispy scarves. 

So the message from Islam appears to be an admonition to follow the lead presented by the Roaming Catholic Church and “Coverup”.   At any rate, to adapt our lives to the moral codes of the church.  Pedophilia may be an inconvenient truth that "can happen anywhere”, but the church will take care of it’s own pedophileers - no need to bother the police, they have enough problems with bad guys.

Meanwhile, the protestants are romping and stomping with tea bags swaying from their hat brims and pistols flopping on their hips and some of them shoot down medical doctors, and they all love to protest a woman’s right to choose whether to carry a child for the next 20 years when she can’t afford those she already has, and she had no choice in the conception of THIS one either, and they piously grimace as if they might be in prayer, indeed praying to maintain the sanctify of marriage by protesting and keeping homosexuals out of wedlock - ALL  of this of course, because it is God’s desire - and God needs help from good ole' gunslingers from time to time.

And the Jews are plowing up Palestinian homes and building “settlements”  for more Jews, normally an act of war - would be if they tried that in France or Italy say, but not of course, when God wills it, because God gave this land to the Jews, right?  Or did He give it to the Palestinians?  Depends on which "This Land Is My Land for Dummies" book you have bought into.  

And they will ALL tell you that they all worship the same god.  Really?  Come on now, this is a joke - right?  Do ANY of them really worship ANY real god?  Or do they  really mean they just worship their own religion?  

The Gay Deciever

Army Secretary John McHugh told the troops last week that the previous policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" concerning gay and lesbian soldiers currently serving in the armed forces was no longer effective.

Now he is saying he misspoke.  They still can be kicked out if they tell anyone they are gay.  McHugh now says that before the old policy can be changed, the Army needs to "talk with gay soldiers."

Hmmmm.

The Catholic Church Attacks. First the Law, Now the Press.

Some are calling for the Pope's resignation.  It won’t happen, certainly not for any sexual reasons, because the church can not begin to comprehend the magnitude of the problems felt by their victims.  And also, that one pope might step down for any reason does not provide assurance that his replacement might not be associated with another fetish or two, probably also dealing with sex because anything involving sex is clearly a mystery to the Catholic Church.

Probably the best course of action for the Catholic Church to take would be 1)  to permit and encourage their priests and nuns to marry, 2) to permit and encourage the ordination of women, gays and lesbians as Priests,  eligible for promotion to Bishop, Cardinal and Pope, and 3)  to meanwhile refrain from comments of any nature concerning matters of which they cannot - by their very own vows, willingly taken before God - have any knowledge of, or experience of, sexual acts and their consequences.  That means that the church should have no voice - none - concerning matters involving sexual intercourse, conception or contraception, carrying a child to birth or abortion, nursing, feeding and taking care of young children, especially the education of young children!!! or the health care of young children.  The  Catholic Church is prima facie unqualified and incompetent in these matters.  If the Catholic Church is to provide any such care involving children, that must be done under adult supervision.

The willful, deliberate and continual refusal by bishops and other priests - and the Pope - to notify legal authorities of crimes committed by the Catholic Priests should carry the same penalty to the supervisor as the perpetrator of the crime, as is fitting in other professions that are true professions, like medicine, psychiatry, or counseling.  Archbishop Nyez has been quoted as saying the church should treat sex abuse cases very seriously. That's fine, it would be nice if the church did take some action but the most important thing is to report these allegations to the local authorities - because they indicate a possible violation of law, and legal remedies need to be applield.

Now we find the Great Church is mounting counter attacks by charging newspapers like the New York Times - and others - as being out to get the church and the pope.  The pope himself has said he takes this matter as a “test of himself” - good God, he REALLY doesn’t understand what damage his church has done, does he?  And  as the leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict,  was in charge of all the investigations of all the pedophiliac priests for 20 years before he “ascended”.  Now the new leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Levada wrote:  "I am not proud of America's newspaper of record.  The New York Times, as a paragon of fairness."  Certainly the Times seems to be walking closely to the edge of their cherished motto: All the news that is fit to print".