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.