You cant legislate or control respect any more than you can taste. Clearly the cartoon (which I haven't even seen) is in very bad taste. However if it suddenly becomes a crime to express a viewpoint if it is offencive to someone then no one will ever be able to express a viewpoint again as there is always someone that will be offended by it.
The holocaust is a totally different beast all together. Its like the US denying it ever dropped a bomb on Hiroshima. In that instance we are talking about recent history witnessed by countless still alive today versus religious beliefs. However on some level, you are right in the fact that if someone wants to claim it didn't happen... does it matter? That is their belief and their right to be lame. Its no one else's right to force them to believe something different.
As far as a Religious group expecting people that do not subscribe to their views to follow the rules of that religion is the same thing as people being expected not to kill cows because there are people out there that believe it to be religiously wrong.
I agree that the world would be a far better place if everyone would show respect for each others beliefs, however many religions do not even do that. The freedom of speech and of expression are inalienable human rights that can be as destroying as it can be enabling however in the end the world is a far better place when people are are empowered to express their viewpoints even if it may offend someone.
For what its worth, it sounds like a lame cartoon and I would be pretty freaking embarrassed and ashamed if I had anything to do with it.
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02-15-2006, 09:03 AM
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