So a “Draw Mohammed” event staged Friday in front of the Phoenix mosque which was attended by the two semi-literate Muslims who tried to attack the “Draw Mohammed” in Garland, Texas, a few weeks ago drew a large and rowdy crowd of armed motorcycling enthusiasts in full biker regalia and light arms. No question at all that some of the gentlemen in involved are rude, crude, provocative and pretty un-politically correct (scroll down the pictures posted on this story for proof positive) … but dammit didn’t it look like they were having fun, in making a full-throated in-your-face defense of freedom of speech as defined in the first amendment. And one without the monstrously weasel-wording “but” inserted after the statement “Well, yes, I believe in free speech…” This was incredibly refreshing after the temporizing along those lines from the usual proud defenders of the freedom to speak, write, draw, broadcast and otherwise propagate potentially offensive material in the wake of the Garland contest and shoot-out.
Our national media, both print and broadcast paid lip-service to the concept, but generally blacked out the artistic representations of ol’ Mo and chided Pamela Geller for provoking an adverse reaction, usually with the hackneyed simile of shouting fire in a crowded theater, or of classifying her event and many of her public statements as something called ‘hate speech. Our entertainment elite, for the most part has already preemptively surrendered. Academia has also surrendered and abased themselves when it comes to any voicing of an opinion not already agreed to by most everyone in their tight little academic strongholds, most of our elected officials are already cringing and running for cover once the mighty accusation of being that unclean creature – an islamophobe (oh, the horror, the horror!) is unsheathed by the oily activists of CAIR. The slightly permanently tanned golfer in chief of these United States has been distinguished of late by his solicitous and tender care of Muslim sensibilities worldwide while simultaneously blaming the rise of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh/Bearded-Fanatics-of-the-Islamic-Persuasion who are raping, looting and exploding their way across Syria and Iraq, and making an impression in North and Central Africa on his predecessor in office. So having someone – anyone – actually self-organizing and make an unequivocal gesture unadorned by the temporizing “but” is kind of refreshing.
Yes indeed, it is a pure relief to see public a public demonstration of this kind – an in your face, fiercely unapologetic demonstration, only somewhat fazed by death threats from sub-literate Twitter account-holders, but not the least discouraged by the distain of those who represent themselves to be their social bettors. Being polite has not made the point that freedom of thought is an inalienable one, in the eyes of those of us raised in the American tradition. Courtesy in this respect to the Muslim world generally has not been reciprocated in any meaningful way. Indeed, the threats have become ever more menacing, and the fate of the two would-be jihadis in Garland demonstrate that yes, some are willing to back words with deeds, however unsuccessfully. So, when all else has failed, what choice to us is left but to go profane, outrageous, un-nuanced and unencumbered by the fatal footnote of “but”? It seems as if the next round of cowboys and jihadis is about to become a home game, if it hasn’t already begun.
(Cross-posted at www.ncobrief.com)
Well,it is about time the public realized that even if you are not interested in Islam, Islam is interested in you.
Let us keep calling out our chattering class on its cowardice, too.
“The slightly permanently tanned golfer in chief…”
Wow.
Just wow.
I suppose MLK was “permanently tanned?”
Damn…we always suspected this was what was driving the Tea Party but, you know, thanks for confirming it.
Next you’ll be calling it The Black House.
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find photos of white supremicists in the crowd because, well, of the “the slightly permanently tanned golfer in chief.”
Good choice on the anonymous posting, Sarge.
I am anonymous, JA? How nice of you to favor us with a bit of drive-by commentary. I’ve been blogging under this nym on various sites for … about thirteen years now. My real-life ID is about as hard to figure out as Instapundit’s is. You get paid much for this comment-trolling? Is that what all those spam posts offering umpty-up dollars for working at home on the internet are paying you do do? I’ve always wondered. The year that I worked in a call-center I got $10-11 an hour – how much does trolling-for-dollars work out? Do you get paid vacations, hours off, any kind of benefits at all?
And just FYI – the year-round permanent tan was a term that some of my military friends of the non-WASP ethnic and so-called African-American group used to use as a mild witticism. Sorry that it seemed to have gone entirely over your head. Guess you are one of those expensively-educated 1-percenters.
This post had nothing to do with the Tea Party, BTW. And since Dr. Carlson and Alan West are both wildly popular among those Tea Partiers of my acquaintance, your supposition of racism is … amusing, to say the least.
Sergeant Mom – Glad to hear your story about your friends, because — for some years I have been jokingly saying that this person or that person has a better “natural tan” than I do. It’s one of the things I do to try to lessen racial differences.
Stop the presses!!!
Someone was accused of racism!!!!!1111
And on the internet, too. So obviously we must all immediately start groveling, lest we be thought of racist by the usual imbeciles.
Yawn. Been there, done that. Sgt. Mom- my apologies. I know where you’re coming from. I’m also a fan of Allen West, Thomas Sowell, Ben Carson, and I’m probably the last person on the planet still peeved about how former Wayne county exec Bill Lucas was treated after he switched parties to become a Republican. But none of that matters, because anytime anyone ever says anything that might hypothetically possibly be construed as demonstrating anything other than absolute servile docility to leftist racist grievance mongers- racism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Well, Eff,that- and Eff you too, Johnny. Long experience has convinced me that accusations such as yours are never, ever made in good faith, so I figure you deserve no sort of respect.
This isn’t my site, and the owners have no reason to publish my expression of contempt towards you, Johnny.
But just in case they leave this up, I’ll provide you with a couple links that will make your head explode.
http://www.fredoneverything.net/fred-columns.shtml
Especially columns like this:
http://www.fredoneverything.net/BlackPower.shtml
The rights are ours – God-given and all that. We don’t need to nor should we defend them on pragmatic grounds. But like most such – what, traditions, institutions, beliefs? – they are also important because they work. We don’t need another Lysenko (though I suspect some have not studied genetics for similar reasons). Those cartoons of Mohammad stand for a principle that has made the west productive, creative, innovative, ingenious. And the media’s and academia’s reaction should make us ask how much life – for what is such creativity but the core of our lives and purpose – they are stifling. And how much truth has been lost – truths we may find again but at greater costs than should be necessary.
Jefferson was talking about religion, but then, that, too, is one of the rights:
I am proud we disprove our holocaust deniers rather than jailing them. Austria’s approach seems to come from a bad faith and insecurity. Do they not trust their citizens or do they not trust the truth?
Sgt Mom,
Good comeback.
As for our rights we have the rights we’ll defend by valor, as the motorcycle enthusiasts came prepared to do…
A government that understood it’s purpose would not be protecting the enemies behind them – who have already attacked with that very mosque as barracks.
A government that understood governments only justification is protection above all would have razed it after the attack.
We are on our own as far as our own protection and our liberty, property, life. That’s not so bad.
“And just FYI – the year-round permanent tan was a term that some of my military friends of the non-WASP ethnic and so-called African-American group used to use as a mild witticism.”
Curious if you use the n-word because some African-Americans use it which makes it okay for the so-called WASPy folk to throw it around.
Keep digging.
And please tell us about all the black friends you have and how there should be a White History Month.
FYI, I’ve been riding along here for the past 10 years watching you guys embarrass the Right day after day. Every now and then you outdo yourselves and post a gem like this one and I just can’t help myself.
That faint and far-off swishing sound, Johnny, was the sound that the point of this post makes as it goes over your head. It was about upholding the concept of free speech, and the fact that very few of our so-called elites seem to have their heart really in doing so.
I don’t use the n-word; never have. I think it’s vulgar, low-class and trashy, no matter who uses it. About my black friends in service; there’s about twelve years worth of archives on http://www.ncobrief.com, and a very useful search function – look ’em up yourself.
“Slightly tanned” I’m reminded of Gary Sheffield’s infamous remark to Derek Jeter: “You ain’t all the way black” Hang around the barbershop long enough, you’ll hear all the light-skin jokes. Ain’t no paid troll callin’ Sheff on his words, damn straight!
Johnny Appleseed Says:
Rick, is that you?
If a properly devout Moslem has never seen a drawing of Mahomet, how would he recognise one?
Yep, Dearie – how would they know, indeed? Alas, I have never gotten the impression that logic is a radical Muzzie strong suit.
“About my black friends in service; ”
I would suggest not feeding the troll even though I have done it a few times myself.
which makes it okay for the so-called WASPy folk
How dare you use the acronym WASP. Who do think you are?
Well, I don’t feed them, Mike – that is, engage with them on the assumption that they are honest debaters. I will, however, bat them around, poke fun at them and challenge them to back up whatever absurd accusation that they are making. Because otherwise, the assertion will stand … even if it is ignored in later comments, it still stands. Better to chew on it to make a point, and THEN move on.