Beaumont Man Says Newspapers Aren't Informing Citizenry, So He Will

"It's not that I'm anti-Islam. It's that I'm anti-anybody who says you have to do as they insist or they're going to kill you."

And with that, John Caffery of Beaumont, Texas put a large Danish Mohammad cartoon in his front yard along with an explanation that this was what all the fuss was about.

When asked about the sign, Caffery's neighbor and the imam for the Beaumont area seem to have different views on Freedom of Speech. See if you can guess which ones said the following:

"Freedom doesn't mean you do what you want. What is the point of putting up something that hurts?"

"Every one of us is entitled to our own belief and opinions. If you've got an opinion about something, well, that's all right by me."

Caffery is right about papers not informing the citizenry--not a single major American daily printed the twelve cartoons, the New York Times being no exception.

I wonder what publisher would choose to print a Satanic Verses these days?

As to the riots, burnings, and price put on his head for writing the book, Rushdie said "If people get offended along that way, that's their problem. It turns into my problem when they try to kill me. But fundamentally it is still their problem."

That's something American newspapers have seemed to forget.

(Via Fark.)

Posted by floridacracker at March 2, 2006 12:23 AM