Monday, February 06, 2006

Kiss and Make Up

All right, I understand that the Danish cartoons were in very poor taste and quite offensive. I'm glad the US newspapers have avoided reprinting them, although I understand the dilemmas of editors facing "how do we print the news without showing the news?"

But embassies are burning and people are dying. This is not an appropriate response to an affront to a religion. I still maintain that one offensive cartoon deserves an offensive cartoon back atchya. Complaints can be noted. Newspapers can be boycotted. Death is not okay. Bomb threats are not okay. I don't agree with the people who do it, but I thinks it's acceptable to protest something like Last Temptation of Christ or the elephant-dung art exhibit at Brooklyn Museum. But I don't think it's okay to bomb museums or chase around Martin Scorsese with a brick. It's not even a fine line. It's a very clear line. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROTEST AND VIOLENCE. Malcolm X even changed his mind on this point.

But it does seem to me that there is something else happening here. Could it be that this is more a rising-up about social relevance in the world? About being tired of being ignored? Am I talking out of my ass because I am a clueless privileged person (not that privileged, mind you)?

Me and my talking ass now are moving onto another topic. Two topics, actually. One: still no internet at the office. Rumors blame an IT guy who has vanished. Not our IT guy, from some other company in the building. Two: Tomorrow night I will be sleeping in a hotel in United Arab Emirates. And the next night too. Then it's off to Sharm, where I hope to find a place to lay my head at the same great little place I stayed with my pal Yancey in 1999. I hope it's not so cold that I can't snorkel. And maybe I'll find time to see the "burning bush." Ha ha, as if a bush could survive for thousands of years. Oops, now who did I just offend?

Additional Thought on the Cartoon Thing: Those of you who think it's just a Muslim thing to react with violence need to remember Oklahoma City, the Unabomber, and people shooting doctors and bombing abortion clinics. It's not a Muslim thing to react violently. It's a people thing. An unfortunate people thing.

Update: That talking ass was onto something. And I haven't read "Jihad versus McWorld" but it sounds like a title that might be onto something.

4 comments:

Mr. Gone said...

I think that it is more of a lack of education and understanding how to cope with emotional outrage. It may be very well that the muslim religion preaches peace, the lesson just doesn't seem to be making it's way into the mosque.

BTW, please don't come and read my post about this topic, you were much more tollerant than I was about it and I fear that it would really offend you. Good day.

Jared said...

My favorite line about the Brooklyn Museum Mary with dung thing comes from Saturday Night Life (a show I very rarely watch so I was lucky to see it). It was in the weekend update section and they we quoting Mayor Giuliani as saying "I'm outraged at the Brooklyn Museum exihibit. It's not the kind of show I like to take my mistress to."

Marie Javins said...

I missed that SNL too (also almost never watchig it).

But that is hilarious!

(can you tell my 'n' key is slowly goig?)

Unknown said...

Re: "Additional Thought on the Cartoon Thing:"

Marie, while the other examples you mentioned were similar as to the actions taken by the protestors, can you really say they're on par as regards:
(a) what angered the protestors and
(b) whether the violent protest was done against those deemed responsible for whatever caused the offense?