So were against Freedom of Speech if we disagree with Ted Rall?

[trumad]

I nominate this the Strawman argument of the year so far!

[liberalhistorian]

1. I will certainly agree with you on that one,

I was disgusted by Rall's cartoon (for the first time, since I normally like his work), but he has the right to draw and print it.

[boxster]

3. You beat me to it.

;)

And you were much less wordy.

[boxster]

2. It's about context.

It depends on the context.

If you disagree with his right to draw it or the publisher's right to publish it, then that would seem to conflict with Freedom of Speech.

If, however, you just think he's misguided, at best, and evil, at worst, or that the publisher should have chosen not to publish it because it's patently immoral or mean-spirited, then that's an opinion and shouldn't be construed as "against Freedom of Speech".

[trumad]

5. Agreed... and I think the majority of DU'ers agree too.

It's just that those who defend Rall throw it out that we're against Freedom of Speech just to prop their case. It's Strawman all the way.

[ForrestGump]

7. It's their only valid defense

before they're forced to acknowledge an ugly side of their own characters.

[boxster]

9. It's really the only borderline rational argument to be made.

Some people will defend the right for anyone to say or print anything at any time about anyone, regardless of the message or intent.

I am not one of those people. I believe that discretion is an admirable quality and one used far too infrequently. Discretion should have prevailed here, but it did not until it was too late.

That being said, I think the Rall cartoon was misinterpreted pretty heavily on both sides of the argument. I don't believe that it was honestly meant to be as mean-spirited as it appears, though I could certainly be mistaken.

Edit: typo

[RetroLounge]

4. Rall is right on the money in 9 out of 10 cartoons

But He missed with this one.

and I'm not gonna jump on the eat-our-own bandwagon.

and you guys wonder why there's no Liberal media...

RL

[trumad]

6. It ain't about Lib or repuke...

It's about right or wrong.. You're right, Rall is usally dead on but when he isn't it's my er...Freedom of Speech that allows me to say he's wrong. ;-)

[liberalhistorian]

8. Well, that's the beauty of the system,

he has the right to draw the cartoon and we have the right to express our opinion of it, good or bad.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

10. I love Ted Rall

...but I really, really hated that cartoon.

I have nothing but respect for our soldiers and our cartoonists who lampoon them, but Ted put a toe over the line and made everybody in the anti-war movement look bad.

[DrWeird]

11. Strawman?

Weren't you the one who said if we don't agree with you we're in league with terrorists?

[trumad]

13. I was wrong for phrasing it that way

really..I was.... but I tend to think that Osama apologists are a bucnh of fucking idiots!

[leesa]

15. You want someone's head without even knowing they were guilty

tell me who is the fucking idiot! You believe he did it, without any proof, because the BUSH CABAL told you so! Tell me who is the idiot?

I sure as hell hope you are never on a jury.

[tinanator]

16. WHO is an Osama apologist?

I think you need to be specific in these sorts of comments.
Or is it simply loose rhetoric?

[bicentennial_baby]

12. So if we don't disagree with Rall we "stand with Osama" ?

At least according to you sir. :eyes:

[Moloch]

14. Is this about his Pat Tillman cartoon?

I thought it was totally disgusting but it's no worse than some of the stuff that comes from the right. I think he has a right to make his cartoon and we have the right to agree or disagree with it.

[tinanator]

17. yeah and some newspapers feel they have the right not to print

fer instance the key Doonesbury cartoon last week where BD screams "Son of a Bitch!" was not printed locally. Very disgusting cowardice and just a slippery slope that some here would be glad to toboggan down.