Our Freedom of Expression Is Killing Us

[Yo_Mama]

169. The point of allowing people to speak freely

is that historically speaking, the authorities/masses of people did not know what was true and what was not.

There was a time in Europe when claiming that Jesus was not God would get you burned to death (it happened even among the Calvinists). Claiming that the Pope wasn't infallible, publishing the Bible in common language, different interpretations of the Bible - all CRIMES.

People believed in witches flying around on broomsticks. People believed in the divine right of Kings. People in this country tried to ban the abolitionist movement (in the South). There were violent acts against women's suffrage demonstrators. People believed that giving women the right to vote would just destroy society.

Our constitution recognizes that governments have frequently been the agency for suppressing truths and harassing people based on their beliefs instead of their criminal actions, and so when we created the national government the people themselves placed a limit upon the government - it could not establish a church, stop people from practicing a religion, stop people from gathering and engaging in political speech, or stop people from saying AND PUBLISHING what they wanted.

For the government to withdraw the protection of the law from someone who had engaged in speech of which the government did not approve would be to make a mockery of the Bill of Rights. And it is also explicitly forbidden - all have equal rights under the law.

That video in no way oppresses the freedom of others. We mock our presidents, our justices, our religious figures. Political/religious satires have long been recognized under our law as being allowable speech.

Not only is it unconstitutional to do as you suggest, it would be a terrible error. If it is wrong to criticize the prophet in Islam, it is much more wrong to criticize the Koran. So if I write here that no G_d I can believe in wants adulterous women stoned to death, and that anyone should be allowed to change their religion, have no religion, or disagree with all of the doctrine of their religion without being beaten, killed or otherwise harassed for it, I am insulting the Koran.

Sorry, it's all or nothing. I choose the "all", not because I think the video is good, or that it should have been made, but because criticism will always offend someone, and I trust no one to be the arbiter.

There was also a Muslim doctrine that the caliph was the representative of Muhammed, and so must not be criticized. You don't know what you are talking about.

Many modern Muslims do not believe in this totalitarian type of thing. To bow to those who do is to abandon the civil rights of the moderate Muslims as well.