Jihad is not savage? Come on now. What has happened to freedom of speech? Complaints roll in about a privately paid for ad that was placed on one of San Francisco's Municipal Transportation buses. You've seen paid advertisements on public transportation lines many times. Most of them contain some kind of unverifiable opinion about a product or idea to get you to buy in, just like a commercial. The ad was not a government endorsement. But, some people are reacting as though it is a government-sanctioned racist remark. Here is the quotation from the ad: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad." Maybe it is offensive and maybe it is not.....
Since my father came to close to dying at the World Trade Center on 09/11/01, I admit that I may be a little bit biased against Islamic violence. The term Jihad to me seems to be often used as a message of violence and hate against all who disagree with Islam. People are complaining about this ad because they feel it is hate speech. I think it is an opinion and a call of support for a group of people who are marginalized in their part of the world and surrounded by enemies. I am sure it would be no problem in the arena of public opinion if it was an anti-Israel ad. This is what burns me up the most. Why are some groups allowed to spew hate and violence and others are supposed to sit down, shut up and take it?
But, I am digressing. The purpose for this blog today is to point out that it is getting harder and harder to voice an opinion or idea that may be unpopular or different from others without being falsely accused of hatred, bigotry and phobia. This insanity has to stop. It is okay to say you are offended by someone else's words and to disagree with them. HOWEVER, It is not all right to stifle the rights of others to say what they will. Say what you want, about anything, including this blog. I will not try to take away your right to say it. But, I will fight for my civil liberties ( peacefully of course) if you try to take away my right to say what I will.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8769862
(This entry may seem a little off topic from education and family issues, but the whole point of having a blog is exercising that precious free speech and free press right that is slowly slipping away from us).
