The Furious Spinner

Or something like that. Come on, people. To paraphrase Emma Goldman, if I can't laugh, it's not my religion!

According to the newsies, Muslims across the planet are demonstrating because of a cartoon in a Danish newspaper. This is what I gots to say about that: people, people, people, let's just settle right down. I will defend your right to your religion, I will defend your right to your culture. I will protest war. I will protest torture. I will protest unlawful detention. I will protest bigotry. But I draw the line with humor. Humor and literature. So what if it's offensive? Good grief. Do you know how many things I find offensive about our culture and your culture and their culture? Let me count the offenses. No, let's not. We ain't got all night. (For instance, I find it very offensive to see a woman walking behind a man and covered in cloth so completely that you can only see her eyes.) This thing about being disrespected is perplexing to me. Why aren't Muslims worldwide out demonstrating against the war in Iraq? Why aren't they demonstrating about the men in detention in Gitmo? (Or maybe they are and we just never hear about it.) But this cartoon thing is bizarre. Let's get some perspective.

The West is supposed to respect the traditions of the East. Well, that goes both ways, buds. We have a tradition against censorship. Editorial cartoons are part of our tradition. (The letter from the Joint Chiefs of Staff notwithstanding. Apparently they don't understand satire or irony or freedom of speech—which they were exercising by sending the letter.)

If you don't like the cartoons in a newspaper, don't buy the newspaper. If you don't like what a book says, close the book. You don't put a hit out on the author a la Rushdie.

Crazy world. We've got so many big things goin' on in this little ole world. Quit the sturm und dang about nuthin'.

That's all I'm saying. 0 comments

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