Re the whole cartoon thing....

No death is funny, but when Reuters headlines say something like "Three more killed in cartoon protests", and it's not a joke headline, I'm really not sure if I should laugh or cry.  What are these people dying for?  Were their lives really that cheap, that they should die over a doodle?  And I agree with Dave Winer, what is this reaction telling us; does this not just further the association between their religion their culture, and violence? And it bugs me to refer to my fellow earthlings as "them".  Another wedge, courtesy of religious fundamentalism.   Pah.

Comments

[Sean Burgess]

The problem with any fundamentalists is that they forget that there is fundamentalism without fun! Islamic fundamentalists are not very different than other radicals who blindly believe in something. None of them ever have a sense of humor about themselves or their cause. If you can't laugh at yourself, you take yourself way too seriously.

Of course, the more I read about this, the more I wonder how they will spin it into a South Park episode and if that episode will ever be allowed to be aired. If they can create a 5 minute short that pits Jesus against Santa Claus and roll that into a series that contains episodes in which Jesus and a Catholic priest confirm having slept with Cartman's hemaphroditic mother, they can certainly take on Mohammad.

Sean---

[Brian Benz]

You hit on something interesting - blind belief. What strikes me, when I think about it some more, is the desparation. The desparation of the Imams for control, and the desparation of these people over globalization , which they perceive as a threat to their lifestyle. Somehow this threat to their lifestyle has been translated into a threat to their life, and they respond in kind. The self-deception in the name of religion (not in the name of god) is human nature at it's ugliest.

[Mister Snitch!]

What makes you suppose this has ANYTHING to do with religion? Why so quick to implicate religion when it's apparent these people will use ANY excuse to further their agenda? Religion just seems to be an excuse that works. Help them find one that works better, and they'll use that as well.

Once you allow yourself to be drawn in to some spurious argument about "fundamentalism" so you can get a dig in at Christian fundamentalists 'while you're at it', you do exactly what these thugs want: You get divided against yourselves. Do you see Christian fundamentalists setting fire to government buildings? Of course you don't.

Focus on the real source here, and realize these scum want to divide along as many lines as possible. Take for instance the media. Look how quick they are to jump on the "irresponsible" Danish newspapers. Yes, it's the Danes' fault all this violence is happening, and no one seems to want remember the example of Neville Chamberlain.