nasty cartoons

[mrmod]

Just an analogy ... There's a bitbull in a cage (muslim extremeist) Vilks comes along with a stick (free speech) and pokes at the dog with the stick to the point that the dog is now angry and ready to fight. Along comes a mother with a child ... the child happy to see the dog approaches it only to be bitten.
Vilks has come and gone and is out of the picture and even has police protection. The innocent are left with an angry dog and no protection.

Talk about taking something to the limits. Is his right to draw really worth the anguish that it has brought about. In my personal opinion ... absolutely not. If Vilks was speaking out against injustices towards humanity in a decent manner he would have my full support.

So according to your analogy we can only do what others deem acceptable and not rude. We can't use our minds and express our opinions because that would perhaps anger someone? We must follow the crowd and the taboo must not be broken.

Neither you nor I (well, I don't think you do but I cannot be certain) know Vilks personally so we cannot judge his character. He could be a horrible character or a really affable guy.

But his actions show about him. He had the courage to break a taboo. He stood up to the angry dog and said "quit your barking!" (using your analogy, the dog was angry before Vilks came in the equation). He had an idea and he carried it through.

Who's at wrong here are the extremists who just simply cannot take criticism. Everything has been ridiculed. I've heard some pretty nasty remarks about my country and I said "y'know what? I see what they're getting at." And I see their point of view. The extremists have only made the situation worse by resorting to violence.