I don't get too worked up about many things. The best method to get me ranting is to censor me or force that miserable blight on message cartoons--political correctness. There will always be something somewhere that offends someone. If you can't deal with a different viewpoint or even just a silly depiction, you need some therapy. I have a couple of disabilities but I don't get bent out of shape if someone makes fun of one of them. I beat my head on my drawing table every time I draw a cartoon because I have to worry about how this or that will "offend" someone. I find that very stifling. If someone has a problem, they can write a letter, engage in debate or just complain--anything that will elevate a drawing to the level of discussion or thought and not just a page decoration.
The crisis of the week is that of the furor over the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, printing several cartoons depicting or making statements about the prophet Mohammed. Of course, anyone would be offended by unfavorable depictions of their religions, race or nations. If you look around at many Arabic newspapers, you will find anti-Israel, anti-Jew and anti-American cartoons on a daily basis. Many are very violent. This just goes with the territory. They have every right to be angry at whatever or whoever they like. I would rather see a bloody cartoon than a bloody aftermath of a street bomb or a military operation to quash a rebellion. Religious extremism is not confined to any one region of the world. I would suggest to that Muslims everywhere that dialog will go much farther than murdering cartoonists or bombing newspapers. The public's perception is up to you.
Another reason I vehemently despise censorship is because a lot of repression has been instituted by so called "communist" regimes. It seems to me all that the public thinks about when it comes to communism is repression. They so easily forget that most right wing military dictatorships have been horrifically brutal as well. It is my hope that if there are any changes to the Chinese and Cuban systems, it is that of respect for personal freedom and political dissent. If a government can't survive differing opinions, then maybe, it doesn't deserve to exist. The same can be said of our one party system as practiced by the Republican’s control of the US government. From what I see, there is no effort to include the minority party in any decision making. The US has entered dangerous waters. My only hope is that the American public rectifies the situation as they usually do.
Another reason I vehemently despise censorship is because a lot of repression has been instituted by so called "communist" regimes. It seems to me all that the public thinks about when it comes to communism is repression. They so easily forget that most right wing military dictatorships have been horrifically brutal as well. It is my hope that if there are any changes to the Chinese and Cuban systems, it is that of respect for personal freedom and political dissent. If a government can't survive differing opinions, then maybe, it doesn't deserve to exist. The same can be said of our one party system as practiced by the Republican’s control of the US government. From what I see, there is no effort to include the minority party in any decision making. The US has entered dangerous waters. My only hope is that the American public rectifies the situation as they usually do.
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The Official Website of Cartoonist Rights Network International
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Great cartoons about freedom of speech
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The official Jyllands-Posten response
The controversial cartoons
The crisis of the week is that of the furor over the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, printing several cartoons depicting or making statements about the prophet Mohammed. Of course, anyone would be offended by unfavorable depictions of their religions, race or nations. If you look around at many Arabic newspapers, you will find anti-Israel, anti-Jew and anti-American cartoons on a daily basis. Many are very violent. This just goes with the territory. They have every right to be angry at whatever or whoever they like. I would rather see a bloody cartoon than a bloody aftermath of a street bomb or a military operation to quash a rebellion. Religious extremism is not confined to any one region of the world. I would suggest to that Muslims everywhere that dialog will go much farther than murdering cartoonists or bombing newspapers. The public's perception is up to you.
Another reason I vehemently despise censorship is because a lot of repression has been instituted by so called "communist" regimes. It seems to me all that the public thinks about when it comes to communism is repression. They so easily forget that most right wing military dictatorships have been horrifically brutal as well. It is my hope that if there are any changes to the Chinese and Cuban systems, it is that of respect for personal freedom and political dissent. If a government can't survive differing opinions, then maybe, it doesn't deserve to exist. The same can be said of our one party system as practiced by the Republican’s control of the US government. From what I see, there is no effort to include the minority party in any decision making. The US has entered dangerous waters. My only hope is that the American public rectifies the situation as they usually do.
Another reason I vehemently despise censorship is because a lot of repression has been instituted by so called "communist" regimes. It seems to me all that the public thinks about when it comes to communism is repression. They so easily forget that most right wing military dictatorships have been horrifically brutal as well. It is my hope that if there are any changes to the Chinese and Cuban systems, it is that of respect for personal freedom and political dissent. If a government can't survive differing opinions, then maybe, it doesn't deserve to exist. The same can be said of our one party system as practiced by the Republican’s control of the US government. From what I see, there is no effort to include the minority party in any decision making. The US has entered dangerous waters. My only hope is that the American public rectifies the situation as they usually do.
Support Freedom Of Speech!
The Official Website of Cartoonist Rights Network International
International Freedom Of Expression Exchange
Great cartoons about freedom of speech
Support Denmark site
The official Jyllands-Posten response
The controversial cartoons
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