...when we have a political class as routinely venal as Lindsey Graham—or Time's Joe Klein, who really did write that "Jones's act was murderous as any suicide bomber's"—that means that war-inspired censorship is always just a shout away.
In case Graham hasn't noticed, his statement has already been taken to the absurd by the PC minions in this country. Look at our academic campuses, supposedly the bulwark of intellectual freedom. "Free speech is a great idea, but you know, it might hurt someone's feelings."
Or, as Mark Steyn discovered when he was brought up before the Human Rights Commission in Canada for daring to write a book that was not expecially submissive, it might hurt tender, Islamic feelings in particular. Steyn says in reply to a post by Andrew Stuttaford:
...ever since I ran into a spot of bother in Canada, I’ve found myself giving speeches in defense of freedom of expression in Toronto, London, Copenhagen, etc. I did not think it would be necessary quite so soon to take the same stand in the land of the First Amendment against craven squishes of the political class willing to trade core liberties for a quiet life. I have no expectations of Harry Reid or The New York Times, but I have nothing but total contempt for the wretched buffoon Graham."
Stuttaford, for his part, had made this point:
Don’t get me wrong. I think Jones’s actions were ill-judged and unhelpful to what the U.S. is trying to do in the Islamic world. Nevertheless, if we start allowing Muslim mobs to dictate the limits of American free speech, this country will have sunk a very long way down.
Indeed. When we start allowing Muslims--or any group, for that matter; or all those politically correct speech codes and their enforcers; or buffoons like Graham and Reid to take an "idea" that is enshrined into the US Constitution as a merely "guidelines"--i.e., something to be discarded when it is convenient or scary to stand up for them; then it is only a matter of tme until all our liberties are at the mercy of any thug anywhere.
Disagree with Jones. Talk to him and try to convince him to give up his narcissistic attention-seeking ways (good luck). Whatever is within the scope of standing up for our values and our hard-won freedom. And, save the outrage for the perpetually outraged perpetrators of the only "non-virtual" crime being discussed.
Unless you think that burning a holy book justifies the murder of Jones himself (remember Theo Van Gogh?); or of any number of innocent infidels who offend Islamic fanatics by their mere existence. "Oh, but you say indignantly, "we only want to silence a provocateur like Jones, not kill him!"
Do any of those who are so quick to demand Jones be silenced really imagine that such an action would appease these Islamic thugs anyway? That they would stop killing people? You have to be Muslim for their code to even apply (and even then, it's very 'iffy' whether or not they might decide to kill you or not)....dealing with infidels honestly is not part of their "code."
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