Veteran Removes Illegally Placed Flag

[fishBurger]

Good on em.

If you want to fly an American flag, great. Fly it right.

[Backstaber]

In complete agreement with him.

[Christian]

Ytringsfriheden er vigtigere end et nationalt symbol.

Freedom of expression is more important than a national symbol.

We're allowed to display sarcastic and offending images of a religious front figure, such as Muhammad, but not burning a flag? Who decides which is most important?

Muhammad cartoons and the effects: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammed_cartoons

Everyone should have their right to piss, shit, set fire to, eat etc a flag, regardless of their intentions. It doesn't matter if it's just to piss off anyone, it's un-democratic not to let them.

[Innoc]

Perhaps my recollection is wrong but the Mohammud cartoon was one that actually had the government working to indirectly censor and prevent further and related items to be published for fear of inciting violence in the Muslim populations. Perhaps that isn't the best example to illustrate your point...

[YomMamasHouse]

What big fuss over nothing. There are real enemies to be fought and people are worried about some guy who flies a Mexican flag over the American one.

[Christian]

Originally Posted by Innoc

Perhaps my recollection is wrong but the Mohammud cartoon was one that actually had the government working to indirectly censor and prevent further and related items to be published for fear of inciting violence in the Muslim populations. Perhaps that isn't the best example to illustrate your point...

I'll stick with my example unless you can expand on your "indirectly censor" comment.

[Innoc]

Originally Posted by Christian

I'll stick with my example unless you can expand on your "indirectly censor" comment.

I did not click your link and, apparently, confused it with the Norwegian cartoon in which there was capitulation by the Government to pressure groups.

[uBeR]

I don't think it was a matter of "capitulating to pressure groups" at all. Just because you're allowed to say something, it doesn't necessarily mean you should. There's no point in saying something mean and bigoted just because it's protected speech. That's the definition of being a prick. Why continue saying something if serves no other purpose than to incite hatred and violence? I think that's reasoning behind why someone might not want to publish offensive material.

P.S. It was a Danish cartoon.

[Innoc]

Originally Posted by uBeR

I don't think it was a matter of "capitulating to pressure groups" at all. Just because you're allowed to say something, it doesn't necessarily mean you should. There's no point in saying something mean and bigoted just because it's protected speech. That's the definition of being a prick. Why continue saying something if serves no other purpose than to incite hatred and violence? I think that's reasoning behind why someone might not want to publish offensive material.

P.S. It was a Danish cartoon.

Uber, in this example it's primarily one group taking offense. For most others it was either a non-event or source of amusement. Does that one group have a right to not be offended? That, to me, is catering to that one group.

edit: Yes, Danish cartoon but it was the Norwegian Gov't that apologized for it being published in a paper in it's country.

[uBeR]

They don't have the right to not to be offended ever. No one does. But that doesn't mean you should go out offending people just because you can be offensive. Also, I was offended, as many other Christians and people of other creeds were, that someone would use their position within a publishing industry to use meritless stereotypes to insult people and another religion.

[Backstaber]

Interesting development when it comes to those "Cartoons of Blasphemy"

The Clerics never saw them. Meaning they started riots and called for deaths of people over the cartoons they have never seen.

[Innoc]

Originally Posted by uBeR

They don't have the right to not to be offended ever. No one does. But that doesn't mean you should go out offending people just because you can be offensive. Also, I was offended, as many other Christians and people of other creeds were, that someone would use their position within a publishing industry to use meritless stereotypes to insult people and another religion.

Not that it makes it ok but they don't think twice about offending Christians with similar situations.

[Backstaber]

*cough* Cross in jar of piss at "art museum" *cough* *cough*Mary portrayed wearing a burqa*cough*

Yet, have we seen Christians take to the streets burning down mosques or killing Muslims and Liberals?

[uBeR]

Originally Posted by Innoc

Not that it makes it ok but they don't think twice about offending Christians with similar situations.

You already seem to know this argument is a fallacy, so why make it?

[punkrockrocks]

This was in Reno, where I live.

EDIT: Eh... I was a bit off topic there, having not read the entire post and only the first few replies.

[Innoc]

Originally Posted by uBeR

You already seem to know this argument is a fallacy, so why make it?

The point being is that why should this particular group receive special treatment? Who decides that this was wrong? You certainly can make that judgment as an individual but at the societal level who makes that decision? (rhetorical question) So why do they receive special treatment? Because they grow violent otherwise. I think that's the wrong path to take. If they society they're living in is a free one then they need to suck it up or move. There is of course the option of trying to restrict the freedom of that society as well...

[uBeR]

They don't receive special treatment. Muslims deserve respect, just like Christians and Jews and atheists and so on do. It's not a hard concept to understand that people, regardless of their creed, deserve to be treated kindly and with respect. After all, both the Bible and the Constitution teach us that. It should therefore be of no difficulty to determine that an insult based on a meritless stereotype is not OK, even if it is allowed in the society that you live in. Christians knew it, Muslims knew it, and the Danish government knew it.

[Innoc]

Again, though, it's going to happen. In a free society, someone is eventually going to offend you. While it doesn't make it right it does however encourage a bad or violent response if fear of that response is catered to.