God, what a waste of human life.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42376051/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/
It was conclusively established last year that Jones is a publicity-whoring asshole. Of course it’s also true that if you go nuts and kill a bunch of people just because someone else supposedly burned a book, you’re an asshole with no sense of perspective AND a murderer. Plenty of condemnation to go around here.
And another Norwegian name gets quietly penned into the book of the fallen.
For this.
For fuck’s sake.
Ohhh, tempted to try to hijack this thread, but I see that Marley23 is already here to nip it in the bud.
But seriously, over a book?
The only thing worse than someone who pokes a sharp stick at a mad dog is someone who acts like a mad dog.
I have a weensy suspicion that if a radical atheist burned a Bible, and fundementalist Christians in the American South rioted in protest and killed eight people, that the condemnation on this Board who be tilted pretty heavily toward the latter.
Because those contexts are so very similar.
Keerap, now they’re saying up to 20 killed. I wonder if those murdered had any idea what had precipitated the violence, what they were being blamed for.
And two were allegedly decapitated.
Yup, no condemnation in here for the rioters. None whatsoever.
It shouldn’t surprise you that the context is different—it’s an analogy.
And an apt one, at that.
How is Jones responsible for the criminal actions of third parties on the other side of the world?
Burning a Quran is tacky, but it is also protected activity under the First Amendment. The notion that free expression in this country should be stifled because of radical groups elsewhere is absurd. The fault here lies entirely on the criminals that murdered innocent people.
People are responsible for their own actions. That pastor didn’t kill anybody.
Pastor Jones is a giant dick, but I agree fully with what you said. These folks are murderers and deserve condemnation of the highest order.
All very true.
He was deliberately provocative. Maybe he didn’t “want” people to be killed in response to his actions, but he knew perfectly well they might be, and yet he went ahead with his protected free expression to no other end.
I defend Jones’ First Amendment rights. If he were, say, imprisoned for his hateful and inflammatory expression, I would protest for his release.
I suggest rather that Jones should have had the decency and prudence to restrain himself.
Who has said that free speech should be stifled?
Why? He’s not breaking any laws. He’s expressing a political and/or religious opinion, as he has every right to do. There is no reason he should restrain himself to pacify some radicals on the other side of the planet.
On the other hand, the criminals should have restrained themselves from committing mass murder and mob violence over some perceived insult to their religion. Jones did not violate anyone’s rights. The criminals violated their victims rights…by killing them. They could have protested in any lawful way…burn Jones in effigy…hell…burn a picture of John Wayne if they want. Send a nasty letter to the editor of the local newspaper. Draw cartoons of Jones burning in Hell. Something like that.
He may not have done it by his own hand, but he’s still a Fucking Asshole.
You would think he would take history into account before doing something so juvenile and petty.
Fine example of a Christian.
Yes, and an equally fine example of third world muslims.