the bigger point being missed is the role the media played in creating a mountain out of a molehill. this wasnt about the pope or rev graham but a totally insignificant person. might as well start writing stories about what martin says about islam.
We've just become used to it. They latch on to certain things and run them into the ground. Like the Lacy Peterson murder. There are hundreds of spouse murders in the country every year but the media latched on to that particular one and made a friggin' huge media event out of it.
i think its a little bit different from that example. the lacy peterson murder was certainly news worthy it was just blown way out of proportion. the only media this book burning thing should get is on that wacky church's sunday morning bulletin
exactly. which is why i say it was stupid of petraus and obama to weigh in on it. one guy expressing his hate for islam. least significant thing ever. she was a white girl, kinda pretty. always big news. dont minimize it. if she were my daughter i would kick you.
Burning the Koran would be offensive to all Muslims. If the target is destructive Muslims, you've offended your target, but you've also offended many good people unnecessarily.
no it wouldnt. religions are composed of people that have varying degrees of concern about various things. some care, some dont. you know this but you speak without thinking. dont care. free expression is much, much more important. one of the problems with our country is we have this absurd idea that lies should be respected, provided those lies are called "religion". lies are lies, no matter who or how many people believe them.
It would be offensive to a majority of Muslims to varying degrees. You should be willing to admit this, but your argumentative and allow your personal biases to cloud your arguments. In general, people should be respected, but this country gives you the right to disrespect them (not that it makes disrespect acceptable or right). You have the right to disrespect the majority of Muslims, but that doesn't mean that your disrespect isn't misguided. Blanket disrespect is done in poor taste.
pay attention, i am the one that just corrected you and you changed it from "all muslims" to "majority". try not to accuse me of being unwilling to admit the thing i just corrected you on. islam and the koran are ideas, not people. not all ideas should be respected. again, whether free expression is done in good taste is not the issue. free expression should be encouraged regardless of what you or i think is in good taste.
Obviously it is the issue regarding the mosque. Not ever case of free expression is legal. You can't yell fire in a crowded theatre. Not every case of free expression is smart. You shouldn't go into a biker bar and shout, "All you bikers eat chit!" Not every case of free expression is appropriate. You shouldn't protest homosexuality to disrupt a soldiers funeral. Not every case of free speech is harmless. A mosque that has been touted a bridging America and Islam has turned out to be highly offensive and stridently divisive. It has already failed in its purpose, was shortsighted, and remains immensely insensitive. I'll bet you an order of falafel, that the mosque tower never gets built. The Iman is just looking for a face-saving way to change his plans.
