“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Voltaire (attributed- circa 1764)
The assassinations of the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo, a Muslim policeman and four French Jews is simply the latest in an escalating string of brutalities committed by Islamic militants in recent years.
In just the past 12 months, more than 5,000 innocent men, women and children have been slaughtered by a growing number of terrorist organizations operating under the guise religion. Then there were the gruesome and widely-publicized beheadings of journalists, humanitarian aid workers and others!
Al-Qa’ida, the Taliban, Boko Haram, Abu Sayya, al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , the al-Nusrah Front and ISIS are but a few of the radical groups which have carried out these horrendous acts, hoping to terrorize and eventually annihilate anyone and everyone they deem as infidels before creating their intolerant caliphate; a 21st century version of the Christian purges in Spain and Hitler’s Final Solution.
Their apparent need to resort to violence rather than reason and compassion leaves one to wonder about the underlying messages of the religious belief systems they claim to champion.
In the name of diversity, the willingness of institutions in Western Europe to embrace the recent invasions of immigrants, many of whom want nothing less than to overthrow the very democratic institutions which protect their rights to pursue their separatist agendas and ultimately destructive ideologies has resulted in restrictions on speech and a general reluctance on the part of the media to print or broadcast anything which might be offensive, particularly to Muslims.
For all of the outpouring of emotion since the Paris massacre, where is the uproar from the “international community” where Boko Haram is concerned; their latest atrocities included gunning down 2,000 innocent civilians and using a 10-year old girl as a suicide bomber?
On this side of the Atlantic, with the exception of Major Hasam’s murders at Fort Hood and the bombs set-off by the Tsarnev brothers at the Boston Marathon, our country has been relatively immune from attacks by Islamic terrorists since 9/11.
Yet, politically correct speech codes enforced by our public and private schools and universities as well as practiced by the current Administration are laying the groundwork for conditioning future generations that our nation’s most cherished liberty, free speech, is subject to the caveat that it is only applicable when no one’s feelings are hurt.
The vast majority of our media outlets have also shied away from any language, images and videos which might offend an identifiable group … with depictions of Mohammad and the use of “Redskins” and the “N” word (except in Hollywood productions and comedy clubs) having become off limits while other populations and institutions remain fair game.
The media’s selective censorship of certain stories and language, clearly driven by a fear of potential economic repercussions and even terrorist attacks, while understandable is a far cry from their demands for free speech when it serves their parochial interests.
Back in Europe, some 4 million marchers, including many world leaders … with the notable absence of any senior American official … carried thousands of “Je suis Charlie” signs in Paris and other cities across France in protest to last week’s massacre; claiming while not defending the context of Charlie Hebdo’s editorial cartoons they were parading in defense of liberty.
Talk is cheap … and while such slogans are easy to shout in a like-minded crowd, one wonders how many of these demonstrators would be willing to put themselves in harm’s way to ensure such liberties are protected.
Freedom of speech is an inalienable right permitting individuals and organizations to openly express their opinions and beliefs (other than such very limited exceptions as yelling, “Fire” in a crowded theater) without fear of retribution.
However, it is also imposes an obligation on others to listen to, tolerate or even ignore language which may be offensive, hurtful, demeaning or repugnant to everything they believe and hold sacred.
As Americans, “Nous ne sommes pas Charlie”, but perhaps we need to be!
