So , when am I allowed to be offended?

[zellie]

Seems that worldwide only one group can be offended by free speech.

I thought I should be offended when 9/11 happened but I was wrong.

I thought I should be offended when Daniel Pearl was BEHEADED but I was wrong.

I thought I should be offended when these 4 Americans were killed when trying to good work but apparently I was wrong.

Nope , apparently I should offended because some nutcase makes a rediculous movie about Islam.

Maybe if he made a movie about Christians, Jews,Hindus or Buddhists then that's ok.

We haven't learned our lesson. We have to omit one group from any freedom of speech.

Because any slight will immediately lead to death and destruction.


And the best part is it appears that we have to guess what will set them off.


Maybe there is no slight...maybe any excuse to cause death and destruction is good enough and its just really about hate. I wonder why yesterday they attacked the German consulate...I guess any "western" consulate wil do.(can I be offended by that?)

So , since anything the west does can be perceived to cause people to be "offended" , I guess we should learn our lesson , that "don't upset us or we'll riot and occasionally kill your people."

Yes, with that kind of threat we should give up our freedom of speech.

[CJCRANE]

1. A lot of people were offended by 9/11

and Iraq, Afghanistan and Bin Laden suffered the consequences of that.

And the people who carried out the latest attacks will be brought to justice too.

[Odin2005]

2. K&R

[uppityperson]

3. How were you wrong to be offended by 9/11, Pearl's beheading, 4 killed Americans, etc? What is this

about? It seems to be a screed against "the muslims", against "them". Please clarify. Thank you.

[zellie]

7. No , it's about freedom of speech.

nt

[uppityperson]

9. What? Were 9/11, Pearl's beheading, etc "freedom of speech"? Please clarify and use more words

to explain since I am not the only one wondering about this. Thank you.

[zellie]

14. That has to do with whether other people

can be offended.

[uppityperson]

24. I think you are saying we must be beware of "them", the muslims will get offended and kill

Americans. That "them", the muslims are the only people in the world to get a pass, that they can get offended by anything, riot and kill with impunity? Is this right? Still trying to understand what you mean.

Or do you mean 9/11 was "free speech" that for some reason you can not be offended by?

[treestar]

41. Bet OP sees no reason for anyone if Afghanistan

to have a right to be offended by being attacked by drones.

This kind of thing perpetuates it all. The Israeli/Muslim exchange of offense seems like it will go on forever.

Though when they were able to settle things in Northern Ireland, it gave hope. People need to quit this back and forth, being the victim and only retaliating and trying to convince us the other side is evil while they are good. It's getting offensive.

[TBF]

51. "Getting" offensive? nt

[malaise]

105. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Their (those nasty brown Muslims) deaths don't count

[Whiskeytide]

126. I don't really want to get involved in this fight...

... but I think a pretty good argument can be made that the people who carried out 9/11, Pearl's televised murder, etc... did, in fact, intend a message to be conveyed by their actions. Such events are seldom about actually killing the people killed. They are much more about the impact on those that witness the killing.

That probably makes it "speech" from their perspective, however irrational and barbaric our culture may find it to be. So I think the OP has made a legitimate comparison, even if the point may be a little less clear.

[uppityperson]

130. Murders, mass or singular, are not "freedom of speech" issues.

Of course they were to "send a message" but since the OP is about "free speech", and he somehow thinks he can't take offense at 9/11, no. 9/11 and Pearl's beheading are not about whether or not we can take offense at their message. They are NOT about "free speech".

[Whiskeytide]

133. Like I said...

... I really don't want to get involved in the merits of the argument. I tend to agree with you anyway on that. But anything intended to be a message, no matter how vile and reprehensible, can be classified as "speech". Would it be recognized as protected free speech by OUR courts? Of course not. But it is still speech in the technical sense. So the OP's analogy is sound on that point, even if the conclusion drawn is a little left fieldish. JMHO.

[uppityperson]

134. So why should "they" get offended by our bombings by planes and drones? It is just "speech".

Nope. Some things are not "speech". They may send a message but no, are not "speech", have nothing to do with "free speech" and are offensive. I guess someone who kidnaps a kid, rapes and murders them, their actions can be classified as "speech". Interesting. And wrong.

[sarge43]

37. Have you been arrested by any government officials for practicing your First Amendment rights?

If so, then you have a real compliant. Otherwise, you're just whining.

[hlthe2b]

102. ding ding ding... You got it.

.... DU is teaming with ugliness right now.

[proverbialwisdom]

36. +1

[regnaD kciN]

91. +1000

As far as I'm concerned, this is just another of the "Muslims are eeeeeeeeeeevil, so who gives a shit if we offend them?" crap that I'm used to seeing from wingnuts. It's a bit distressing to see the same garbage here on DU, though.

[Missycim]

124. I dont see them as evil at all

I just don't think they have a right not to be offended.

[zellie]

40. No my point is....

I'm not going to give up my rights to anyone even if they are offended.

[uppityperson]

42. What rights? Dropping bombs on them in the name of "national security"?

You do realize that the killing of the 4 was orchestrated and had nothing to do with this film, don't you? And that the riots since have more to do with dropping bombs on them than this film, right?

You are still unclear as to the 9/11 connection and why you can't be offended by that.

[sabrina 1]

67. Do you think anyone in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan should be offended

by the slaughter of their loved ones, many of them children? Could our illegal invasions perpetrated on these people where we continue to bomb them to smithereens, have just a little something to do with their anger?

Let's compare, after 9/11 we invaded two countries, killed over one million people in a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and thousands in Afghanistan. We tortured, raped, and sodomized even children in our detention centers. We mocked them while torturing them.

Do they have the same right we believed we had to go kill hundreds of thousands of people, in retaliation for what 19 hijackers did to us?

I think we need to stop this 'we have a right to be outraged' because the truth is, so do millions of innocent Muslims unless you think we are special with the special privilege of being able to go kill people if they kill our people.

Keep mocking them if you want to join the bigots on the Right and keep killing them as we are doing, but then don't whine when they get the same idea.

This President is trying to stop the stirring up of hatred for Muslims in this country and has made it clear 'we are not at war with Islam'.

Seems like you don't agree with him.

[Melinda]

106. You've reduced me to tears; Top ten post EVER on DU! Thank you Sabrina!!! N/T

[countryjake]

108. +1000 Thank you, sabrina!

[abelenkpe]

77. Really?

Were you upset about giving up your right to privacy after 9/11? Upset about illegal wiretapping? Or indefinite detention? About the increasing limits on protesting? Cause your post stinks of rightwing bs.

[RandiFan1290]

81. How come you are not fighting the AFA?

They are fighting against the 1st Amendment everyday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Family_Association

[cali]

85. oh poor wittle you. no one is asking you to give up your rights, genius.

[TransitJohn]

46. EXACTLY how I read it, too. eom

n/t

[frylock]

59. word

[Mnemosyne]

5. A question - who are the four killed in your fourth line? Thanks. nt

[B2G]

21. Those at the Libyan embassy

[Mnemosyne]

118. Thanks. Welcome to DU! nt

[Autumn]

6. I get offended whenever I find something I consider offensive.

If someone else thinks I shouldn't be offended, tough shit.

[frylock]

64. ^this^

[BarackTheVote]

96. +1! NT

[Warren Stupidity]

8. You can be offended as often as you like.

By the way, the offended Muslim rioters were not the people who killed the people at the consulate.

I know it is all very complicated. An offensive video. Offensive rioters. A smirking offensive Romney trying to take advantage from the extremely offensive attack by some unknown terrorist group on our consulate. I carry my "O" "Fence" signs everywhere I go for just these sorts of occasions.

[countryjake]

109. There oughta be a smilie for that...

[nolabear]

10. Who's stopping you? Seriously. Who's stopping you?

[bahrbearian]

82. Exactly, There must be some new anti free speech law, I'm not aware about.

[Lint Head]

11. I'm offended that George Bush and Dick Cheney are not in prison for murder.

[lunatica]

12. Who's trying to take away your right to be offended?

[hedgehog]

76. +1

You are responding to something that exists only in the minds of Fox viewers.

[Lex]

13. Be offended all you want. WTF?

Who said you can't be offended?

[lonestarnot]

15. If the folks to which you refer were educated by something other than state run media, they

wouldn't be nearly so offended.

[justiceischeap]

16. In about 4 minutes but you can only be offended for about 30 seconds

then you must stop. I don't know who is going to "police" your offense but I'm sure if you go over your "I'm offended" allotted time, the "Anti-Offense" police will be knocking on your door to take you away to a maximum security "offense" prison.

[liberalmuse]

17. Well, that's all good and fine, BUT...

it's one thing to "offend" and another to throw gasoline on embers. The people who made that video knew damn well what they were doing, and I think they got what they wanted, right down to the murder of innocent Americans. Fuck them and their "free speech". Free speech is great, but if you abuse it, there are consequences. Hate speech and slander are abuses of "freedom of speech. If you knowingly rile up a crowd, then you share the guilt of that crowds actions. If you stick your hand into a lions cage, don't cry and put all the blame on the lion when it gets bit off. Sadly, some people still don't get that with freedom, there IS a huge amount of responsibility and accountability.

[Scuba]

27. Best reply so far. Thanks.

[hughee99]

33. "If you knowingly rile up a crowd, you share in the guilt of the crowds actions?"

I'd agree, but WHO riled up the crowd?

If it weren't for someone sending this movie, or a preview, to someone looking for a reason to be offended, I'll bet 6 people wouldn't have seen this movie. Who who riled up the crowd, the one who made this movie, or the one who talked about this movie to their followers with the specific intention of making them angry?

[MrDiaz]

48. the sad thing

is that since the attack on the embassy happened, there have been FAR MORE threads condemning the video maker, rather than the muslim rioters! absolutely DISGUSTING!

[frylock]

66. the muslim rioters assisted the injured and fought back the small attacking force..

please get your facts straight.

[Zoeisright]

111. People here understand cause and effect.

There most likely would not have been riots if those assholes had not lied about making that film, then promoted it just to get a reaction. Grow up.

[RandiFan1290]

121. So, get busy

Start making the threads you would like to see. Instead of crying about the rest of them.

[MrDiaz]

122. i wasn't

complaining about the threads per say i was more saying that the ratio of defenders of free speech:to those condemning the video maker is kinda ridiculous. But its all good, i believe in your right to think and say whatever it is that you believe.

[TBF]

55. The easy example is yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre -

which I'm sure we all heard from our social studies teachers back in school. Your freedom to speech may be restricted if you are intentionally provoking others and creating an unsafe situation.

But I knew where this OP was coming from with the first "them". *sigh*

[Blue_In_AK]

97. Well said.

[Lex]

18. I am offended when Religious Nuts of any kind try to ignite holy wars with each other.

Blowing up abortion clinics or storming embassies, it all offends me.

Calling for gays to be killed, or wives to cover their faces, it all offends me.

I don't care what BRAND one's religion is, it mostly all sounds like an excuse to divide to me.

[Avalux]

19. Maybe if everyone would stop offending and being offended.....

we could all learn to get along in spite of our differences. We are not all the same, that natural fact cannot be changed. Yet homogenous groups of human beings since the beginning of time have made this fact a negative, something to be stamped out and extinguished.

These groups strive to make us all the same in thought and form according to the group's laws, which only leads to violence and death. There never will be a utopia of sameness on this planet. Can you imagine how boring that would be anyway?

I want to live in a world where we celebrate the differences; where we respect all religions or lack therof; where we delight in diversity and be in awe of our uniqueness and the variety of colors and shapes of the human race. Where we live every day in peace.

Offenders and offendees have no place in that world.

[snooper2]

26. You are right! This is why RWJ made this video! We should all get along!

despite our differences...DANCE!

[fishwax]

20. What made you decide you were wrong to be offended in any of those cases

[Lex]

32. Sounds Faux News-ish.

[fishwax]

38. indeed

[CJCRANE]

22. Twice on a Tuesday

before lunch.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

23. I'm offended by the idiocy of this post. nt

[cali]

25. where's the damn unrec button when you really need it?

Maybe we should stop bombing them, invading them, overthrowing their democratically elected leaders, installing and propping up strong men in their countries, etc.

And just when the fuck were you told you couldn't be offended by 9/11, or condemn the actions of those who perpetrated it? Do tell.

When were you informed that you had no right to be offended by the grotesque murder of Daniel Pearl?

One can both be offended and outraged by those who perpetrated these ugly deeds and grasp that it's not a simple equation where right lies entirely on one side or the other- though in some of the instances you gave, it's weighted more than in others.

This isn't really about slights. It's a complex history.

Simplistic "thinking" such as you exhibit in your op may be comforting but it explains nothing.

And no duh we shouldn't give up freedom of speech.

Maybe we should consider giving up endless war mongering, torture, Gitmo and oppression.

[uppityperson]

30. This is what I felt like writing upthread, thank you.

I am trying to get him to clarify but it isn't working, thanks for this post.

[Jennicut]

35. Stop it.

You are making entirely too much sense.

I think this OP is very simplistic and we have the benefit of free speech here.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

49. Very well put.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Go ahead, be offended

Who is stopping you?

[Scootaloo]

29. And I keep getting told, "Dogwhistles? What dogwhistles?"

[Comrade_McKenzie]

31. Islamic extremists are the scum that have risen to the top in the melting pot of fairy tales. nt

[gulliver]

34. Being offended is natural. Reacting stupidly...

...is Republican. That's why Dems are so much better at foreign relations. Republicans see a fire and create a bucket brigade from the nearest gas station.

[Moonwalk]

71. Nicely said!

[treestar]

39. Entirely false

If you aren't a devout Christian, you aren't going to be offended. What Muslims have done something making fun of Jesus, I missed that. Probably because they look up to Jesus too.

911 is not a matter of offending a culture - it's a terrorist attack, no one said not to be "offended" - in fact you would be much more than that and understandably. But then only against Al Qaeda. Why blame all Muslims for it and use it to be "offended" by Islam? And as an excuse to attack countries with Muslim populations?

[proverbialwisdom]

43. Free speech? According to Ezra Klein: 'Libya attack underscores drone use'

I don't regard Ezra Klein without skepticism, personally, but he hyped this last night.

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-ed-show/49040722/#49040722

The Ed Show | Aired on September 15, 2012

VIDEO: Libya attack underscores Obama admin drone use

The attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya was reportedly prompted as retaliation to U.S. drone strikes. Guest host Ezra Klein talks with The Washington Post's Rajiv Chandrasekaran about the use of drones and their impact on American foreign policy.

[porphyrian]

44. Why are you asking permission before exercising your Constitutional freedoms?

However, those same freedoms protect others' rights to disagree with you and say things you don't like.

[zellie]

47. I agree with you...but does that mean..

we can post movies about Christians?
Jews?
Buddhists?
Hindus?
Muslims?


Just wondering

[Walk away]

65. Are we allowed to yell "FIRE" even if there isn't one???? Yes. However...

we are not allowed to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater and if we cause a death while doing so we must pay the consequences. Does this make any sense to you at all??? Or are you offended by logic?

And by the way...Buddhists? It's so funny to see them grouped with the three most violent religious groups, Christians, Muslims and Jews.

[porphyrian]

69. Some Americans do. Most people just never see them.

You are free to post movies like this, too, as long as you do not break the law about inciting a riot. Even then, you could likely post it and start riots before you were arrested. I don't suggest that you do this, but it is possible.

People are passionate about their beliefs. Religions are beliefs.

[sabrina 1]

115. If we do it with hate and with the intention of hurting and marginalizing

them, sure we can do it. The KKK did it to African Americans. It's ok if you are a bigot.

This movie was made and backed up by some of the worst, fundy, Righwing bigots in this country with the intention of causing harm to a group of people they have decided are sub human.

This is nothing new. It was done to the Jews in Germany and to African Americans here.

There are one billion Muslims in the world, very few of them reacted as intended, however all those good, decent people were attacked for no reason by this hate-filled tripe.

If you want to hurt people by telling them how much you hate them, then feel free.

This wasn't made for fun, it was done out of pure hatred.

[quaker bill]

45. There was no guesswork involved here.

The film was intended to set people off, and it accomplished its purpose. "anything the west does" is not the issue here. many things "the west does" offend no one.

This was no innocent mistake.

The Freedom of Speech we all enjoy does not insure that I will not find a person to be a complete idiot for the content they convey. In fact my Freedom of Speech gives me the right, and in this case the near obligation, to object strongly. How they act in the middle east is only vaguely relevant to that judgement. The speech in this case was obscene in a way that XXX actors would be hard pressed to compete with. Intellectual violence without purpose is always an obscenity.

[ljm2002]

50. You can be offended anytime you feel like it...

...silly. No one can allow you to be offended, or can disallow you from being offended.

But I bet you knew that.

[TBF]

52. "them"? Care to clarify? nt

[zellie]

57. Yes... Them that went rioting...

in like 20 countries yesterday over a stupid movie that no one new about until someone found it.

[TBF]

60. "them that went rioting"?

Well I can see it is frustrating to you that "them" are acting out. Damned brown folk shouldn't be looking at things that shouldn't be found. "them" should settle down.

[uppityperson]

61. That is not what they rioted about. It isn't that simple. Seriously, it isn't.

As you have been told numerous times in this thread. For example http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021349768#post56

[zellie]

72. Thank you...

I didn't respond to that post because my knowledge of the crusades is too far back for me.

[uppityperson]

84. All you got out of that post was the crusades? Are you just messing with us?

"Things like taking over countries, drones wasting folk, blowing up their people by the tens of thousands, destroying infrastructure, and installing puppets and murdering folks in an embassy, or blowing up skyscrapers and nightclubs, chopping off innocent peoples heads are not the best ways to react.All one is doing is piling the shit up higher so more falls on all our heads.

We need to get the fuck out of their lands and leave these folks alone but there is the oil and other resources so that isn't happening so the cost is some blood greases the wheels to keep everything moving but there is no acceptance of the costs of doing business factor so every day actually bears more bad blood than the one before and the cuts go deeper and deeper. "


I get the impression that either you watch conservative tv, or haven't investigated or read much of what is happening, or you are messing with us. Which of these fits? That is a question, not an accusation.

[zellie]

87. That I agree with.

And my tv is locked on MSNBC. Just to let you know.

[uppityperson]

89. Thank you for clarifying you are just messing with us. Or did you mean you haven't read/heard why

all this is happening? Thanks for clarifying you are just messing with us though. It helps.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

53. You Should Be Offended When Anybody Violates The Norms Of Human Decency

And your offense should rise as the violation of said norms does.

[Bluenorthwest]

54. This is a rotten OP festering with bigotry

nt

[TBF]

62. Thank you -

I think MIRT must be watching football today or something.

[uppityperson]

68. No, they are bound by the rules.

Over 100 posts, must have a post hidden. 3-3 was the ruling on the OP, I wasn't the first to alert.

[TheKentuckian]

56. No one limits your offense, there are big issues with how it is reacted to.

Things like taking over countries, drones wasting folk, blowing up their people by the tens of thousands, destroying infrastructure, and installing puppets and murdering folks in an embassy, or blowing up skyscrapers and nightclubs, chopping off innocent peoples heads are not the best ways to react. All one is doing is piling the shit up higher so more falls on all our heads.

We need to get the fuck out of their lands and leave these folks alone but there is the oil and other resources so that isn't happening so the cost is some blood greases the wheels to keep everything moving but there is no acceptance of the costs of doing business factor so every day actually bears more bad blood than the one before and the cuts go deeper and deeper.

I get the impression you don't get that the things you are offended about are reactions to hundreds of years and ongoing offenses. We (the west) have a shit list gong back to the Crusades too and have almost inarguable killed and injured more. I have no doubt that there have been days where we did more damage to innocent people in Iraq than your whole list. How many have been killed, hurt, impoverished, and dislocated just over the last hundred years, 50, 20, or even 10 years?

There is no right not to be offended, for anyone. Not only CAN you be offended, you'd best expect it and channel your reaction rationally as circumstances allow.

[frylock]

58. you can be offended once you start developing rational thought

[Mz Pip]

63. Seems like a black and white view

Of course people were offended by 9/11, beheadings, and the general madness that permiates radical fundamentalism.

I really don't give a shit about the damn movie. It was stupid. The people who are rioting and killing over it are crazy. It's certainly not all of Islam but there seem to be enough of them to do quite a bit of damage.

As far as the freedom of speech issue. We can't legislate stupidity and we can't ban shit because assholes somewhere might be offended. But just because you can do something it doesn't mean you should.

[zellie]

75. " the people rioting and killing are crazy" ?

My point is that I will not give up my first amendment right of free speech.

[uppityperson]

86. This amendment (text included)? Who is saying you need to?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Have you ever read the First Amendment? Notice it says "Congress shall make no law"? What congress is doing that?

[Mz Pip]

99. I wasn't implying that you should

You can't legislate the speech of stupid people. Even stupid people, like the film maker, are entitles to free speech.

[gollygee]

100. Has anyone asked you to?

When has anyone asked you to give up your freedom of speech? You want to make a sequel to that movie? You know where YouTube is, I assume.

[fredamae]

70. It's their "fringe" that is doing this in

reaction to "our fringe"-Not much we (normal folks) can do...I'm torn about whether or not the right to "free speech" argument, when the offending speaker has intentionally created a situation designed to harm, hurt and cause nagative public demonstrations is valid.
Of course it is my opinion this a political arrangement-but it sure "feels" like it.

Other countries, it would seem, have the same probs w/their own lunatics who are used as tools for political gain. Like those who created disruptions during OWS as If to allow MSM an argument against the Peaceful OWS Protesters.

If there is a difference in the Human (not cultural)dynamics here-please tell me how I'm wrong?

[Moonwalk]

73. Last I looked everyone was so offended by 9/11 that we got involved in two wars...

...and started our own torture prison, and kept U.S. Muslims from building mosques, and tried to keep voters from voting for a presidential candidate by calling him a Muslim.

Seems to me that you're wrong. You and everyone else have had the opportunity to be plenty offended.

[abelenkpe]

74. No we don't have to give up freedom of speech

But filmmakers and media personel should recognize the influence they have and be more responsible. This film was made with the express purpose of insulting and inflaming people who are already desperate and on edge. That is what is so despicable about it.

[julian09]

93. The offenders offended over one billion people because of lies, ridicule, hatred and perversion of

their religious founder and they defended their founder by taking revenge. Lybian riots were one thing, the murders were plotted
by extremists that used film riots for cover of their crimes. It's one thing to be offended, but killing people is not the solution.
In our culture freedom of speech is a right, even for Muslims but they don't see that as an excuse to hide behind lies, blasphemy, ridicule and perverted acts of religious prophets and Deity. Just as we do not see the right to murder over offenses to their beliefs and culture, Sharia law. They cut off hands, tongues, stone people etc for minor offenses they perceive our right to lie and blaspheme with impunity just as unbelievable. The other countries rioting didn't kill anyone, they wanted to strike back out of frustration.

[patrice]

78. It's not anyone's being offended, but the SELECTIVITY of being "offended" that

brings the whole phenomenon into question, as you observe, "Maybe there is no slight ... ", or at least in a significant number of instances, maybe authentic individual offendedness would result in other kinds of behavior, not violence, death, and destruction, if it weren't for a significant minority of those acting on another motive, different from respect for that which has been offended, a motive of higher priority that conforms to some agenda different from those who are reacting purely out of the offense against that which they value and more or less blindly respect.

For example, why are "pro-lifers" not profoundly offended by dead Iraqi children?

[kestrel91316]

79. I wasn't aware that the 9//11 attacks were an act of free speech. Funny, I always

considered them to be acts of coldblooded murder and terrorism.

[JaneyVee]

80. You just wrote an entire OP without naming or saying who's stopping you from being offended.

[arcane1]

83. This is a strawman argument, and not a very good one n/t

[Tom Ripley]

88. When someone is pissing on your bridge?

[Chorophyll]

90. You're allowed to be offended by whatever you want. Who's stopping you?

For example, I'm sort of offended by those extra spaces around your commas. Now someone might "alert" on my post as being a personal attack on you, and my post may get hidden. But I can still be offended.

See, "free speech" doesn't necessarily mean that you can say anything you want, in any situation, without consequences. But you're always free to feel what you feel.

In any case, I don't see the First Amendment being re-written because of this stupid video anytime soon.

[Iggo]

94. You can be offended all goddam day.

Now what?

[slackmaster]

95. Being offended IMO is largely a matter of choice

You can be offended whenever you choose to be.

[HiPointDem]

98. baloney & bs. that's my freedom of speech, it doesn't constitute a denial of yours.

you seem to view your free speech right as the right to speak *without being criticized or contradicted*.

[kolayamilya]

101. Spam deleted by Hassin Bin Sober (MIR Team)

[2on2u]

103. Complaints

#!

[rbrnmw]

104. Somewhere there is a bridge missing a................................................... nt

[ibegurpard]

107. you're allowed to be offended any time you want

[Zoeisright]

110. Who the hell says you can't be "offended"??

Just don't deliberately try to incite violence. It's really pretty simple.

BTW, people who are "offended" usually just want to control others because they have little or no self-control.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

112. I agree - no sacred cows

and that includes whacko religious fanatics in any part of the world. But I don't agree that people weren't offended here by the death and destruction of 911. I was around here when Daniel Pearl was beheaded and most DUers were deploring that as well. And I don't think I recall any posts here saying that one shouldn't be concerned about the four consular service members who were killed. I think it's possible to both condemn the makers of the inflammatory film as well as the ones who reacted violently towards it. No sacred cows.

[RobertEarl]

113. I am offended by your post

You do realize we have spent billions at an attempt to keep those people in line and out of airplanes headed for NY, right?

Gawd, what bullshit!

What you propose it that whatever we do unto them they must deserve?

[jeff47]

116. You can be offended any time you want.

The restriction is what you can DO with that offense.

If you wanna talk, go for it. Enjoy. Get the word out.

If you want to do anything more than talk, then you will have to put your big-boy pants on and stop thinking the appropriate response to offense is violence.

[AnnieBW]

117. My Religion Gets Insulted Every Day

I'm a Pagan. My religion gets insulted pretty much every day, but I'm not off rioting about it. Look if Islam is such a "religion of peace", why do Muslims go off and riot every time some Internet troll makes a stupid video? I mean, talk about proving your critics right!

[lapislzi]

129. Do you really want to go down that road?

"My religion is insulted more often than your religion."
"My religion puts on its grownup pants and deals with it."
"My religion has fewer nuts than your religion."

Despite your very misguided statement, this is not a "QED" situation.

Violence is never an appropriate response to any kind of insult. Why is this concept so difficult, and why do we feel the need to divide ourselves into camps about it?

This is a pissing contest with absolutely no point.

[GeorgeGist]

119. Ridiculous.

[renie408]

120. Oh, is this what the 'bigotry' poll is about?

Cause it fits.

[WinkyDink]

123. Come to DU!

[LanternWaste]

125. No guesses are necessary. merely apply common sense...

"And the best part is it appears that we have to guess what will set them off...."


No guesses are necessary. merely apply common sense and try not to be vulgar or insult other people merely for the sake of vulgarity alone. It's not a very difficult habit to being...

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

127. What are you trying to say?

I'm not sure I follow. I think the biggest reason the USA has so many problems abroad is our foreign policy. It's not that the rest of the world hates you or me personally. But there are actions taken in our name, daily, around the world that would make your head spin and that is the impression many people have of the US.

[lapislzi]

128. Be offended whenever the fuck you like.

Nobody really cares.

You're just not allowed to go shooting people just because something offends you. I think that rule applies to everyone.

Go be offended. Write a letter to the editor. Go on a message board and vent. Go to a sporting event and yell.

Thank you, the rest of us are just trying to get on with it.

[Arugula Latte]

131. I'm curious. Were you offended when we needlessly slaughtered tens of thousands of people in Iraq?

[Solly Mack]

132. Hairballs really gross me out.

They offend my sensibilities.

I love cats though.

Such is life.


I was curious. I opened this thread. I read the OP and a few replies. For some reason, hairballs came to mind.

Maybe it's just me.

[HangOnKids]

135. No Hairballs Is Perfect

Hairballs and Glenn Beck came to my mind as well.

[Tsiyu]

136. Alas. Another poor downtrodden American cries out from

the wilderness in front of his big screen plasma:

"What about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Aren't I somebody, too? When can I have a little riot over my offended sensibilities?"

Then, said American remembers the microwaveable popcorn-like substance in very pretty wrapping waiting in the cupboards. He goes to the kitchen and suffers, licking his wounded wounds, while his snack pops and with a cold beer in hand, contemplating his horrific, tragic life while perusing the TV Guide.

Poor, poor oppressed American. It really IS all about him....

[Jamastiene]

137. You have every right to be offended by terrorists' actions.

Actually, you have a right to be offended by anything. If you spout off and blame all Muslims though, here on DU, you'll be raked over the coals. The reason is that all terrorists are terrorists, but not all Muslims are terrorists. You have to understand that it is the terrorists who are the bad guys, not all Muslims.

I don't know much about the movie except that it seemed to piss off a lot of people. I have an alternate theory that, most likely, will not get much traction: The terrorists have won.

We have lost many of our civil liberties already. Our freedom has been compromised so much at this point, I don't even know why we claim to be "the land of the free" any more. We have to cower and kiss ass all the time nowadays for fear of pissing off the terrorists. Why? I don't know. They attack us routinely even when we are kissing their asses.

We have also lost so many freedoms and become such a paranoid nation that we cannot fart without hitting the deck out of fear that it is a dirty bomb or another plane. It's a shame really. Living in fear is no way to live. That's not freedom. It's terror. And our government has cornered the market on keeping us terrified at all times. They have even invented color codes to tell us how afraid to be at all times. I don't think it has been at a low level since they invented it. When tax cut time or budget approval time comes again, they'll up the color code to some shade of red...not triggering the cold war conditioning they terrorized us with before 9/11, nah, they wouldn't do that, would they? PsyOps is just the CIA's imagination. It doesn't really exist. If you dare mention that PsyOps do exist, you'll be called a Conspiracy Theorist...Be afraid. Be very very afraid.

From what I know of that movie, it is offensive to Muslims. While I disagree strongly with something that slanders an entire religion and everyone who follows it, I also don't think we should be walking on eggshells to avoid another terrorist attack. They will attack us and our interests routinely whether we walk on those eggshells or not.

When it comes to terrorists, I say be as offended as you possibly can be. If you are not offended by the horrid stuff they do, something is wrong. Just remember not all Muslims are pro-violence or pro-terrorist. Most are peaceful.

[Skidmore]

138. The problem with all that outrage on so many sides is that solves

nothing and leads to the breakdown of diplomacy and the outbreak of war and acts of hatred and terrorism. Perhaps the energy put into being offended and outrage would better serve by learning to see others as not so different that you in their hopes, aspirations, and dreams. There are many more good and decent people in the world than there are fundamentalists and their greedy backer.s