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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]Radical Muslims are murdering Christians, raping children, forcing women to be sex slaves and this is what has people's panties in a bunch.Really?[/quote]

If your problem is with "radical" Muslims, why do you support insulting all -- or at least the great majority -- of Muslims? I am sure that you don't think other religions should be judged by their most radical members, so why treat Islam that way? Wouldn't you want to encourage a more targeted strategy that didn't actually alienate more Muslims?

[/quote] I was very specific to indict radical Islam and not Islam as a whole. The potential for offense is a consequence of free speech--whether that offense is taken by Muslims, Christians, Jews, Republicans, Democrats, Women, Men, Blacks, Whites, Asians, Europeans, etc.  Millions of people are "offended" by satire and by direct and indirect acts every day. Millions of people do not expect the world to bow to their narrow world view. I am not defending the actions of Gellar. I am defending her right to act, just as I defend the rights of other offensive groups and people to act. I simply pointed out the misplaced, in my opinion, angst over a cartoon contest in light of horrible atrocities--murders, rape, sexual slavery. Radical Muslims--or even Muslims--are not the only people who are subject to offense in this world. The difference, most of us don't murder in response.[/quote]

Geller's right to act is not in dispute.  You seem to believe that an act -- for instance, criticism of Geller instead of criticism of radical Muslims -- can be legal but "misplaced". Can you not conceive that the same might be true of Geller? While her actions are indisputably legal, they are insulting in a way that is not deserving of praise and support. If Geller had hosted an anti-Semitic display of some sort, she would be shunned by polite society. Polite society might well support her right to be anti-Semitic (as happened when the Nazis wanted to march through Skokie), but she would be shunned just the same. I assume that you, for instance, would not respond by criticizing critics of anti-Semetism and suggesting they should focus on the worst actions committed by other members of the group being offended. While criticism of Geller may well be misplaced, it is far less misplaced then her actions.

[/quote] You seem to be avoiding the crux of my response. People--and groups of people--are offended every day. Just as certain parts of society would "shun" Gellar for an anti-Semitic display, there would be those who support her, and also, those who support her right to be "offensive."  The offensive acts of any group are always the acts that are highlighted. (For example, the Christian Right is often called out for their "extremists" views.) Muslims cannot and should not be treated any differently out of some misplaced sense of political correctness.  We live in a society that values free speach. That means that at some time we will all be offended. [b]How we respond to that offense determines our level of humanity.[/b][/quote]

Exactly. I believe that humanity would be better served if Geller were criticized rather than praised for her actions. Legal and within her rights as they may be, they are offensive and should be treated as such. You, on the other hand, prefer to highlight actions by extreme elements of the religion -- actions which themselves are widely condemned by other members of the religion.

[/quote] Yet, I have not praised Geller or her actions--only defended her right to be offensive., just as I defend the rights of those who personally offend me. Being offensive is a far cry from those who pervert a religion to murder, rape and kill--which are offensive and should be highlighted and condemned no matter what the religion.  [/quote]

No disagreement from me. But, this thread is about Geller. You chose to address an unrelated topic involving those who pervert a religion and criticized some of us addressing the topic of this thread. It is hard not to see that as going beyond a simple defense of her rights. One can defend Geller's rights while criticizing the message that results from her exercise of those rights. Doing so is not misplaced. The fact that there are Muslims who commit atrocities does not inoculate Geller from criticism.
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