ME uproar: our response

[BrntOrngStmpeDe]

While I understand that the WH is making a calculation in their reponse to the ME flair up, I don't like their response.

They're trying to avoid pooring gas on the fire but IMO this is one issue we shouldn't back off from. We should make a simple but emphatic statement about freedom of speech.

"the US will not now, nor ever in the future arrest, prosecute, hand over or otherwise curtail a citizens right to express themselves through free speech. It is at the core of our country's identity, it is what men and women have fought and died for and we will FOREVER stand by our citizens right to free speech."

and it should not come couched in some half-***, 'while we don't agree with the movie...'

this may come with consequences. it may cause additional attacks and even deaths, but it is what generations have fought and DIED to protect.

As a guy that wears the uniform, I can say that most of the people around me echo that sentiiment. If it comes to that, so be it. It is the reason we took the oath to begin with. when we pledge, we don't pledge our oath to the president, we pledge it to the constitution.

 

[Hookem123]

Thank you for your service.

 

[Crockett]

I admire your service and your devotion to American ideals. "Freedom of speech" has no resonance in the Middle East where blasphemy is a capital offense.

To me it seems couterintuitive to think we'd gain ground by being even more arrogant and dismissive of middle eastern norms.

Certainly the United States is fortunate to have brave me willing to serve and risk their lives so our country can project our values and military strength around the world. I don't think we should give more lives being proud that preacher so inept he is virtually without a congregation can attact world attention by burning the Koran. I believe in freedom of speech. I think it hearbreaking, needless tragedy that Americans overseas lose their lives becase a lyning, inept, movie maker has intentionally created a work that he knew ignorant Muslims would see as vile blasphemy and would use it as motivation to kill Westerners.

I don't agree or sympathize with the Muslims who are killing people. I freely admit that the Koran burner and Innocence of Muslims are given weight disproportionate to their artistic merit and are being used as tools by folks who were looking for an excuse for anti-Western attacks.. But that moronic preacher and that bad filmmaker knew what they were doing and that people like you would have to pay the consequences.

They are no better than the jerk that teases and torments a chained up pit bull. Sure there should be fatal consequences for the dog that breaks the chain and attacks a child, but I'm not thrilled to protect the jerk's freedom of expression.

The guys who intentionally provoke international strife are worse than the papparazi and pornographers, an embarrassment to the countries that protect their freedom of expression and I don't think we should be shy about condemning their intentionally inflammatory "art" that frankly have no artistic or uplifting meaning. The works are senseless provocation and the results are predictable.

 

[Clean]

Don't worry. BO has got this. After he wins reelection by 1 vote in Florida or Ohio, he will do Apology Tour II and really kiss some ME *** this time. He will make them love us!

If that doesn't work, he'll probably revoke the Bill of Rights with an Executive Order and make it a crime to say anything bad about Islam or the Prophet.

 

[Crockett]

I know the rabid right talking point has been that Obama has been apologizing for American values. What statements back this up? Is it just something Rush and Hannity said so the whole right wing choir chimes in. Is there a link to a state department declararation or maybe the content of one of Obama's important speeches.

Here is a transcript of one of Obama's important speeches on the middle east. Disagree with anything he said?The Link

I don't think we should have a Democrat foreign policy or a Republican foreign policy and I think there has been remarkable consistency in the transition from Bush to Clinton to Bush to Obama. I want that to stay the same.

 

[Hookem123]

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[BrntOrngStmpeDe]

I don't conflate an emphatic statement defining our core values with a defense of any particular work.

Somehow when 19 ME's kill thousands, we are told not to hold Islam to account for the actions of a few, BUT when one guy makes a movie, the whole of America is demonized by this group.

I don't think we have to support the movie to support the right to free speech. Any more than I've ever believed that I have to support flag burning by our citizens in order to support their right to do so.

 

[Crockett]

Yeah sure I got some beer. I'll cheerfully admit that I'm not a genius and I belive both Romney and Obama have genius level intellect. I honestly believe your right to label Obama as the "dumbest president ever" is sacrosanct. Not that no one can disagree with you, but as political speech your right to say it is inviolable.

 

[Bevo Incognito]

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[msdw24]

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[Hookem123]

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[Crockett]

Genius is certainly overrated, but as honors graduates of Harvard, they certainly have to have intellect way up in the skinny right side of the bell curve.Watch Obama and Romney in the debates and see how quickly they can apply leanred information and synthysize answers. Certainly when you watched the Republican debates this spring you could tell those with exceptional intellect and those closer to the center of the bell curve. I'll not say that I agree with every thought they had, but as far as being cogent, in command of facts and logic and communicating those effecdtively within a tight time fram, Romney, Gingrich and Santorum did a much better job than candidates like Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann, whose intellect I'd predict would fall much closer to the middle of the bell curve.

 

[Horn2Run]

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