The serious

The above story is a huge concern. A Muslim went into a room of Jews and opened fire, but didn’t injure himself at all. This is suicide bombers, American style. I’m sure his lawyers will blame the victims because of the ‘unchecked Israeli aggression’. The article even says that the authorities are protecting Mosques for fear of retaliation – from all those Jewish-American suicide bombers I guess. Problem is, the media will bury the story or agree with the lawyers. However, be aware, the attacks are here. It’s not just a mid-east problem any more.

The funny

This story is just funny – and the ‘pun’ headline is worthy of my contest as well. A woman has a sign that reads “Our dogs are fed on Jehovah’s Witnesses”. It doesn’t sound like the Jehovah’s complained, just the PC police. Apparently the sign is back up and the ordeal is over. The analysis is this. Some religions/people have a sense of humor and believe in free speech, some don’t. If the sign said “Muslims”, “Jews”, or “Liberals”, she would be in big trouble.

How do these stories relate? Simple. The American way has always been ‘free speech for all’, and it has served us well. I may believe in something (say, abortion is murder) and put a bumper sticker on my car. Someone else may believe the opposite and put a bumper sticker on their car. Although we disagree, we understand that if we want free speech for our cause we need to value free speech for the opposition as well. The opposition has a right to exist, and a right to speak. We fight the battle of ideas with words. Winning will require better ideas, not violence. Therefore, we leave each other’s cars alone, not peeling off the stickers or keying the cars. That’s the way it has been.

Today, people are turning this thinking on it’s head. We have hate crime designation. (Note: All crimes are hate crimes.) We have censorship, PC this and that, etc. Now we are becoming like the rest of the world. People hate and act on it.

Let’s keep defending free speech for all.