CHARLIE HEBDO

CHARLIE HEBDO

As I mentioned I was off the grid for three weeks.  My niece did not have a computer and/or television.  Neither did my friend Sam in L.A.

Therefore I was un-aware of the terrorist 

attack in France.  I did not learn about it

till I was changing planes in Salt Lake City, Utah on the 10th.  

There was a massive demonstration in

 France on television. 

People were walking around with signs that said:

J' suis Charlie, I am Charlie

I eventually summarized what happened.

I believe some years ago there was a similar incident where an artist in Holland had been stabbed.

I remember at the time writing a little story about it.  It went like this...

...I was incensed.  Nobody was going to decide what I could or could not draw.  So I drew up a picture of Muhammad and took it to the nearest mosque and showed it to the Iman.

He said he didn't think it looked like him.  Something was wrong with the mouth.

I had failed as an artist.

I never did actually draw a picture of the prophet.

I reasoned never can tell when somebody would go off over it.

Guess I was right on.  Sometimes discretion is

the better part of valor.

Here's an interesting thought.  Suppose I was to draw a picture of some man with a turban on.

Anybody offended?  Anybody say it was Muhammad?

No.  Suppose that I then write Muhammad's name under it.  Does it now become blasphemous ?

Is it the combination that is the problem?  Suppose I erase the name and replace it with Bob?

Is it still the same?

Interesting

Recently I found out that someone had gotten up on the open mic night in APYC and talked about

lines not to be crossed in comedy, as if there is such a thing. Ask George Carlin about that.  He'd say no sacred cows allowed

Here's my thoughts on the subject

THE SPEECH POLICE ARE

THE THOUGHT POLICE

IN DISGUISE

When you allow other people to pick and choose what words you can and can not use you allow them to structure the argument and reality.

Is this a good thing to do?  If you can

choose my words for me can I choose your words for you?

A recent article on the internet said:  No matter how obnoxious another persons point of view is

you must respect them by respecting their right to freedom of expression.  You don't gotta' like it.

If you don't respect them, don't expect their respect.

Muslims have trouble with freedom of expression and how they treat women.  A clash of civilization

and ideologies looks inevitable.

The only question left for America is, will the Mexicans accept Islam ?

Imagine what hell there would be to pay if Al Queada hooked up with the cartels.  What are sleeper cells?

How do you say Allah Akabar in Spanish?

Remember...

THE SPEECH POLICE ARE THE THOUGHT

POLICE IN DISGUISE

Further thoughts.  I do a performance art act on the board walk.  I have card board signs that I lay on the

ground.  One of them said:

WIFE WANTED.  SEW CLEAN COOK GOOD IN BED.

A thousand people walk by and nobody objects. Then one woman does.  She calls the police. It's on You-tube.  Channel>Capt Flash>Cultural fascism.

A week later I have my FREE SEX sign out

Again the police were called.  They ran 

me off. The police violated my contituional

right to freedom of expression. Also on

You-tube under cultural fascism.

Who is this woman to decide what others

can see?  She didn't have to look at it.  She could have walked away. The basic question is...

...who gets to decide who gets to say what?

Defend freedom of expression.  The constitution doesn't say anything about racial, gender or ethnic slurs or about kids being around.

George Orwell said being able to say something that someone else doesn't like is what free speech is about.