Friday, April 23, 2010

In the Immortal Words of Jon Stewart...

So, I was unaware, until last night, of this huge mess with South Park and some Muslim extremist whackjobs.

Here's a link to an article on it on CNN, but honestly, if you google 'muslim death threats south park' you'll come up with a *ton*.

It basically breaks down like this: South Park did an episode that portrayed Mohammed appearing in a bear suit. And these nut bars got all pissed off about it and started levying death threats against the creators of the show. So Comedy Central edited the episode to remove 'Mohammed'.

Look, in the first place, these guys are fucking idiotic nut jobs. That's clear. They do not, in my experience, represent the majority of Islam. But here's the thing - you don't see the rest of the Muslim world standing up and saying, 'hell, no'. Why? Because they don't talk as loud as the crazy shit people. It's easy to get attention when you're threatening violence, *especially* if it's violence in the name of religion, and then even more especially if you're a Muslim. It's harder to get heard if you're not a crazy fucker.

These guys are sitting here, in the US, protected by our own laws, allowed to spew hateful shit, all the while they want to destroy our way of life. They're *free* to say this stuff. But the creators of South Park *aren't* free to express themselves? How does that work?

*Why* are we kowtowing to the nutbars? All it does is teach them that that's the way to get what they want. Freedom of speech has to work for all people, or it doesn't fucking work at all. I'm almost as pissed off at the people who decide not to air the cartoon in it's original form or who bow down and edit comic strips because of shit like this.

Look, I don't like Glen Beck or his ilk. I think they're right wing conspiracy nuts and I think it's *sad* that so many people believe every word that comes out of his mouth. But he does have the right to express himself. I find much of what he says offensive. Do you know what would happen if I made veiled or otherwise threats against him? I'd be in jail! But because these idiots are *Muslim*, all that happens is that the cartoon doesn't get aired.

Hell, *I* find South Park offensive. You know what, I JUST DON'T WATCH IT! There are ways to express yourselves that don't involved cries of 'Death!' every five seconds.

So, y'know what, to all the religious whackjobs out there who use violence and the threat of violence to spread their 'message', and to the assholes who infringe on free speech to placate these people who are the enemies of all that we hold dear:

GO FUCK YOURSELVES.

12 comments:

  1. I love Jon Stewart, Thank God someone gets it!

    This just...it all just sucks. I'm really sick and tired of these idiots. If you don't like it DONT WATCH IT! I don't watch it, I don't like how they mess with Jesus. But these extremists will do anything to make a scene.

    Its just so sad. Things can never be fixed with idiots like this revolutionist group running around.

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  2. Why don't you tell us how you really feel, Amber?

    ;-)

    I commented on a similar post earlier today so I'll just copy my comment here so I won't have to retype it.

    I read a Mormon lady’s blog once and she said people choose to be insulted/offended and I think I agree. Sure we can initially feel something said or done is hurtful, but whether we act on it or choose to hold a grudge is up to us. I believe people who can choose NOT to be insulted and return good for evil are much bigger and better people than those who call for murdering those who expressed themselves.

    I’m not loving times when Jesus or the Bible are mocked, but I never call for murdering people or praying for God to strike someone down with lightning. I love freedom, too. People are free to say and do whatever they want (within the boundary of the law) and I respect that fact.

    People who call for hurting others because they are insulted don’t show me *anything* good about their own beliefs. It is such a base instinct to return evil for evil and I believe true “religion” *should* bring you up to a higher standard if it’s any good.


    Amber, thanks for saying what so many of the rest of us are thinking about these extremists.

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  3. LK,

    Yes, he does. It's part of why I watch him.

    The whole thing really is very stupid, at the core, and it's just *sad*.

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  4. Susanne,

    I know, I've really got to stop holding back, don't I? ;)

    Your response is excellent. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  5. It's manipulation, plain and simple. They want to institute sharia law here on our soil. And the spinless "tolerant" kiss-everyone's-ass-except-the-Christians Liberals are rolling over, showing their bellies, and saying, "**Simper!** Whatever you want!"

    Won't it be so fun to point at the Liberals, when they can't step outside unless clad in hijab, and say, "OOops! Guess you should have stood your ground!" They'll be the FIRST to lose their freedoms - as a matter of fact, they already are because South Park is as Liberal a show as it gets!

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  6. Great post! I feel the same way and I love how you just told it like it is.

    I am trying, with my tolerant UU hat on, to understand why some Muslims react like this to things. I guess it probably goes deep into the historical clash of civilsations or something like that. They feel "got at". But South Park makes fun of all religions, we don't see anyone else kicking up this kind of fuss. If Muslims learnt to turn the other cheek I really believe they would gain so much more respect.

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  7. Michelle,

    You know, I used to think that that was an exaggeration, that the Liberals would never really get that far...but not so much anymore. Stuff like this makes your point for you, really.

    The sad part is they're going to take the rest of us down with them unless we force them to see the truth and grow a pair.

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  8. Sarah,

    Heh. This is actually why I don't talk about politics. I tend to get... passionate?

    Every group, at one point, has been 'got at' through history. Most of us have managed to move on. Some have not. I find it hard to let them use that as an excuse for stupidity, and the people who pander to them don't even have that excuse.

    If Muslims could learn to protest things without turning to violence, they'd get a lot more respect, and people would stop brushing them all off as extremist nutjobs.

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  9. Amber: I totally agree with your above statement to Sarah. I wish that the actual Muslims could be louder than these crazies. Then people might see all Muslims aren't irrational nutjobs.

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  10. LK,

    One can only hope that it happens sooner rather than later.

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  11. It's pretty discouraging as a tolerant and open Muslim that other Muslims are giving my religion a bad name! No wonder I don't want anyone to know I am Muslim!

    I don't want to deal with the image these people give of Islam. They give a decent image of Muslims though because I honestly know a lot of Muslims who don't feel bad about death threats being sent out (although they'd be too chicken to send them out themselves). Islam and Muslims are not the same.

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  12. Candice,

    That's sadly true in every religion, as far as I can see.

    There's always that fringe element that makes everyone else look bad. All the rest can do is mitigate the damage by saying what our faith really teaches, and denouncing the crazies.

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