Originally Posted by leggs

I'm not bitter or angry about some of my experiences in life. There will always be assholes and people that make assumptions. As for you comments allow me to take them 1 step at a time.

You claim not to be racist. But racist is an ugly word and the majority of the people on this planet do NOT want to be one. If you talk to a member of the Klu Klux Klan they will talk shit about how they are not anti-black or jewish, etc. They are only trying to protect their way of life. To this effect a large percentage of people are racist and don't even know it or in denile.

The problem isn't classification of actions of what one group of people does or does not do. Racism occurs when people point at a group of people and their opinions are NOT based upon eduction or first hand knowledge.

I'm certain if you took 10 people and asked them why the muslims are angry about the cartoons the only answer they could give is, "Because they made fun of Mohamed." Well people make fun out of politicians, dieties, prophets, etc. everyday. What in particular is it that you find offensive? Why doesn't your faith allow pictures to be drawn of your prophet?

From your perspecitive they are over reacting.
From their perspective, you are being disrespectful or making fun of them.
And from my point of view it's, " JERRY!!! JERRY!!! JERRY!!!"

So to sum it up....
Opinions that reflect an element of hatred without adequate knowledge or understanding IS racism.

Ok as for the comments about you willing to go to war....

Well thats the problem we have right now. Both sides want a war!!!
And both sides are being manipulated by extremists!!

Every religion, culture, nation, etc has extremists.
>>The Islamics have assholes like Al Queda.
>>The christians have the Klu Klux Klan.
>>The Iranians have their idiot president that tells the UN to fuck itself.
>>The United States has the Liberals, Conservatives, Neo-cons and Hippies.
>>France has Le Penn and Zsarkovsky(sp?)
>>Etc. etc. etc.

The majority of people only want a roof over their heads, food on their table, a job, to be allowed to love who they want and how they want and to derive solace and meaning from whatever dichotomy they choose.

>>But between the media and some loud mouth idiots telling everyone in europe that the Islamics want to stick every girl in a burka.
>>And similar media and loud mouth jerks telling the Muslims that western society wants to turn their women into whores and drug dealers.

We end up with this fucking mess.

As for the newspapers...

It was NOT a show of support by the other papers. If it was an attempt at it, than the people that made the decision to re-print are complete idiots. And allow me to explain why.

A prudent person would stop and look at the current situation. They would see that this has cause problems. Not only for the paper but for the entire country. The people employed by the firms that sell or ship consumer products to arab nations are the ones that are ultimately going to be hurt.

And if the fucking wing-nut extremists get it in their stupid heads to force the issue... Then you're responsible for getting people killed. "Congratuations on your support for freedom of speech! I'm sure some mother or widow will be real comforted that you printed those cartoons."

If they wanted to show support there was a much better way to do it!

Do a story on Freedom of speech and the long struggle as a society we have had to obtain it. Talk about what it means to be able to say what we want and why we should. In the end, you might win some of those crazy muslims over to your side. <<Score 1 point>>

Or better yet...

Do a story on the newspaper's perspective AND the muslim point of view!! You might get both sides to see things from each other's perspective!!! <<Score 2 points>>

And if you want to score a hat trick...
Invite members of the press to sit down with representives of the muslim community and discuss the issues involved. Do a week long indepth story about all the events, dialogs, discussions, etc.

I used to think Tony Blair was a complete Fuck-tard! But after the London bombings he called in Islamic representives and talked to them.

There will always be terrorists and extremists in this world. But if you refuse to use violence as a first option and seek to engage to learn about the person you call enemy. You stand a better chance of having a hell of a lot less dead people.

The enemy is not any group of people in this world.
The enemy is ignorance and the extremists that prey on the fears of the ignorant.

Never forget that prior to WW2, the jews were viewed exactly the same way the islamics are today. We don't need another holocaust before we realize how moronic everyone is acting. Auschwitz is abandon but it still stands. Let's not put it back in service.