Bill Donohue comments on reactions to his news release from yesterday on the murder of 12 people in Paris:
Being misrepresented is commonplace for public figures. Sometimes it reflects an honest misreading; other times it is a willful distortion. I don’t have the time now to address all of these instances, but I am hardly going to run from my position.
My position is this: the murderers are fully responsible for what they did and should be treated with the full force of the law. Nothing justifies the killing of these people. But this is not the whole of this issue.
The cartoonists, and all those associated with Charlie Hebdo, are no champions of freedom. Quite the opposite: their obscene portrayal of religious figures—so shocking that not a single TV station or mainstream newspaper would show them—represents an abuse of freedom.
22 comments
And this statement of yours, Bill, the one I'm commenting on right now. It changes... what exactly? You just confirmed that we ought to keep our mouths fucking shut, just like what you said in your original statement.
Being misrepresented is commonplace for public figures. Sometimes it reflects an honest misreading; other times it is a willful distortion.
In this case your comments correctly portrayed you as a jackass.
The cartoonists, and all those associated with Charlie Hebdo, are no champions of freedom. Quite the opposite: their obscene portrayal of religious figuresso shocking that not a single TV station or mainstream newspaper would show themrepresents an abuse of freedom.
"Freedom of speech as long as you agree with me" is not freedom.
"Freedom of speech isn't supposed to just protect speech you like, Bill."
Unfortunately, fundie definition of freedom of speech: "Anyone can freely express whatever opinions I agree with and present facts that I am comfortable with."
Bill,
Think for a minute, Bill, if you're able. Why do you think we have laws protecting freedom of speech? Speech that offends no one wouldn't need protecting, now, would it? Freedom to offend without fear of punishment is pretty much the whole point.
You compared both parties to Nazis and Russian Communists. Charlie Hebdo may be offensive but you know what? They didn't fucking hurt anyone and, last I checked, France is a capitalist society so if people didn't like Charlie Hebdo then nobody had to buy/read it! Fuck you, Donohue.
So same as before then? Basically you are saying that sure, the murderers should be punished, but those journalists would still be alive if the had just kept their filthy blaspheming mouths shut. Where, oh where have i heard this type of arguement before?
Contrariwise, that we give Charlie Hebdo its deserved station is a testament to our commitment to freedom.
Also... admittedly even their Jewish caricatures make me laugh.
Oh joy, the comments are actually worse than the fundie.
I'm so glad you people are fighting for the freedom of speech of 12 dead racists who depict girls kidnapped into sexual slavery as welfare queens. I'm so glad you're making their efforts seem noble and heroic. Because you're revealing that you're pretty damn reactionary, falling into the same damn sort of trappings that Bill Donohue here falls into.
Someone said that Charlie Hebdo has harmed nobody. That is a falsehood. Charlie Hebdo has been encouraging and perpetuating bigotry and racism in France. Their propaganda (let's not honor it by calling it "satire") is no different from the same kind of bullshit produced by the KKK.
It is this same mindset that has led to freedom of expression being revoked in France when the right to wear whatever you want was revoked just to antagonize the Muslims.
Oh. But 12 white racists were murdered. And that's WAY more important than the rights of marginalized brown people.
Note that if you're gonna tell me I'm wrong, make sure that it involves counter-arguments that actually prove me wrong. Trying to defend what is happening is actually proving me right.
And believe me. Bill Donohue can go fuck himself. So can most of you, likewise.
@Zachski: If you're really going to play murder apologist to a bunch of raping, murdering, theocratic terrorist nutjobs and have the gall to call them "marginalized", you're at least 7 cans short of a twelve pack.
ISIS is marginalized for a reason. And you are no better than them for trying to defend them.
@Zachski
Citation FUCKING needed.
Also, the idea we shouldn't satirize Islam because it's "punching down" is flawed. Muslims make up 1.3 billion of the earth's population and include some of the wealthiest and most powerful people and countries thereon. They are not a beleaguered minority. They're just assumed to be so by champagne socialist cunts like yourself because they're associated with being, in your words, "Brown" and therefore impoverished.
Which is rather racist, in a way, wouldn't you think?
@Goomy
I agree with goomy, though I am no socialist myself, don't paint with such a broad brush.
Zachski Is wrong, Charlie Hebdo might not be to everone's likeing, but that's the point of free speech. If the KKK want to publish stuff, let them, it will reveal what arseholes they truly are.
Publishing racist or homophobic things is wrong, but so is attempting to silence people's opinions. If you want to change an opinion do it with words, not bullets. It shocks me there are people who think that Charlie Hebdo is to blame for all this. Should we just give in to ISIS and all convert to islam? Because that's what the jihadists want, and If we do that, that stops terrorism in the future right? Wrong. We don't give a shit what they think, Britain, france, the U.S, we are nations of Freedom of expression, political opinion, and speech. We must stand against the censorship of things that we disagree with, or else, where will we get our fundie quotes from?
A quote by Larry Flynt comes to mind:
“If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me, it will protect all of you.”
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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