Those damn cartoons, follow-up

This cartoon nonsense won't go away. I feel compelled to think about it a little more. By the way, if you haven't seen them, click here (if you dare!!!)

This whole thing has certainly heated up the islamic world vs. west conflict quite a bit and its impact is varied. Many Western newspapers and reprinting the cartoons to prove that they have the right to do so and that they will not be intimidated. Others, notably the NY Times, refuses to, citing a desire not to offend and safety reasons. I understand these reasons but at a certain point, the cartoons themselves are news and are worth viewing in this light. An Egyptian paper apparently printed back in the fall with practically no scandal or notice. It wasn't until a certain oil rich monarchy and its extremist clerics riled up the muslim world that all this crap started. If the Egyptians would reprint them, how offensive can they possibly be? As for safety reasons, if a western institution were to curtail its behavior every time a group of muslim assholes threatened violence, we'd be bowing to their will. Before you know it, our women will be veiled, the men will be bearded and no more pork. If the prospect of losing bacon won't motivate you, I don't know what will.

Apart from hitting each and every protester with the mighty club of sanity until they realize what morons they are, I don't know what else we can do except pressuring our newspapers to take a stand against cultural censorship. Sensitivity is fine and proper but enough is enough, if they aren't sensitive enough to not kill innocents in the name of their God, then that god is fair game as far as mild insults go.

Screw 'em if they can't take a joke.