The veteran who complained because two flags shouldn't fly on the same pole may have a point. But the townspeople who were worried about attacks on the town because of the flying of a Danish flag should be ashamed of themselves, and grow some spine. Their pusillanimous reaction shows just how deep are the inroads that Islamic jihadists have already made into the Western psyche. And the idea that a "No Place for Hate Committee" should object to a show of solidarity with the Danes and support for freedom of speech shows just how absurd our age has become.
"Showing of Danish flag roils town," from the Boston Globe, with thanks to Shinolite:
As militant Muslims from Indonesia to the West Bank torched and trampled the Danish flag this past week to protest political cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, Stoughton's Town Manager Mark Stankiewicz grew increasingly upset.So in a small act of solidarity with Denmark and of support for free speech, Stankiewicz bought two Danish flags on Monday and raised one of the red-and-white banners outside the Town Hall that morning, flying it on the pole beneath the US flag.
The symbolic gesture was short-lived, as Stankiewicz lowered the flag the next afternoon after a local veteran complained that it was improper to fly the flags of two countries on one pole. He declined to release the name of the veteran.
But many people in town saw the foreign flag display as insensitive and inflammatory. Several town employees told Stankiewicz they did not agree with his decision and worried the flag could provoke violence against Town Hall in light of the attacks against Danish and other European embassies throughout the Middle East. Stankiewicz described their concerns as an ''overreaction."
The Stoughton No Place for Hate Committee, a local antidiscrimination group, plans to discuss the episode at its meeting tonight because of fears that residents might be hurt or insulted.
''There's always that chance that there will be people who are offended, and we want to guard against that," said Karon Skinner-Catrone, chairperson of the 10-person group, some of whom are town officials.
Catrone declined to give her personal views on the topic before meeting with Stankiewicz, but she said she was ''sure his intentions were good."
''I know Mark would not want to intentionally hurt the town," she said. ''I hope people don't take it the wrong way."...
''This was an extremely limited show of support for a country and its democratic institutions," said Stankiewicz, 48. ''Is religion going to trump free speech? If you don't stand up for certain rights, you risk losing them."...
Stankiewicz, who has visited Denmark and has friends there, said he worries that Western countries will cave in to terrorist threats unless they stick together.
''I thought people might be upset, but they need to understand what's at stake," he said. ''People are willing to sacrifice civil liberties to feel safe, and that's a slippery slope."
Yes it is.
How nice they are now on record as being a town that can be blackmailed by threat of violence. As it is many of them will spend all their time freaking out because of shadows. What's the quote "Cowards die a thousand deaths"?
''There's always that chance that there will be people who are offended, and we want to guard against that,"
First thought: This sort of asinine thinking is the result of a hard core Feminist agenda bullying its way into social normality.
As a result of an agenda that's long held males to be inferior models of females, while at the same time confusedly insisting upon 'equality', ChairPerson, Karon Skinner-Catrone, has effectively disabled the healthy (and I believe highly masculine) capability of Town Manager Mark Stankiewicz to protect people like herself and whatever children she may have.
I'm fairly confident that Ms. Skinner-Catrone sees her (naturally feminine) statement to be benevolent .. which it would be if it were allowed to be backed up by proper masculine sensibilities. Alas, here my confidence fails. The vicious hoards allied only to the Chairperson will do cross body blocks to prevent such a mutually beneficial arrangement from taking place.
With social mores like this I am afraid we are ripe for the Islamist version of dhimmitude.
The day a Texan town (or an Idahoan town for that matter) succumbs to this kinda dhimmitude, that day the US will truly be lost. Massachisets is almost european in its cultural moorings. "A junkie people led by a pusher state" to quote Steyn's memorable line, can never be free really.
Can there be a thousand little towns across the American landscape that may react the same way as the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts has?
Maybe the people of Stoughton failed to take the time to search their collective souls and revisit the history of what once made this country great.
There is nothing more noble than those who defended the freedom that this country enjoys. Americans have fought great wars and have lost hundreds of thousands of young men in protecting this nation from totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany, and Imperialist Japan.
We cannot, and should not ever take these freedoms for granite.
Such a small gesture of support of Denmark is not even enough, America has to tell the world that we are in solidarity with the freedom of expression that the Danish and EU papers have shown, and that violence and threats of violence will not be tolerated by the so-called "religion of peace".
If city officials ordered Mr. Stankiewicz to take down the Danish flag they're in for a possible lawsuit. The First Amendment clearly protects flag waiving as protected expression neither the apprehension of violence nor the possibility that some persons might find the display offensive would negate the constitutional right to do so.
However, since Mr. Stankiewicz (for unknown reasons) didn't show resolve, claiming dhimmitude as a source of his decision is simply too speculative.
And why didn't he disclose the name of the veteran? There might actually be other reasons for staying silent.
Wow, now this is interesting. Mizzzz. Karon Skinner-Catrone (Hypenated mind you) which means she is DOUBLE BARRELED and gunning for the head of any man she finds!!!!
I like your style Mizzzz Catrone! I picked out some gems that you are quoted as saying because they just touched me in that special place!
For instance, "The Stoughton No Place for Hate Committee, a local antidiscrimination group, plans to discuss the episode at its meeting tonight because of fears that residents might be hurt or insulted."
I feel so enlightened, REBORN EVEN!!! This woman has got to have some kind of college degree to be able to come up with such an erudite name for her committee. This committe with such noble and lofty ideals like how to deal with the threat free speech poses to us and the world. But if i can contribute to your committee meeting I would state the following. I am already offended by the name of the committee so I thought up a new name for the committee. By the way it was done this morning while on the Throne (aka terlet) which Im sure Mizzz Catrone knows plenty about since her brain seems to be in one. "THE USA ---> NO PLACE FOR ISLAM COMMITTEE"
An then...
''There's always that chance that there will be people who are offended, and we want to guard against that," said Karon Skinner-Catrone, chairperson of the 10-person group, some of whom are town officials.
Oh, now isn't that precious!...Grade "A" on the very touchy feely thing going on there. Don't let anyone get offended...right Mizzzz. Catrone? You want us therefore to wait, and wait, grow cobwebs in our brains and do nothing, do nothing until you feel nothing, don't debate or excercise your mind, forget criticizing anyone or anything since you might hurt someones feelings...WE MUST BECOME NUMB DAMNIT!!! Am i right Mizzzz. Catrone? Beautiful plan...
Just one question Mizzzz Catrone, what happens when the bomb finally goes off in "the Shire" and tens of people are killed or severely maimed what should we do then...probably form another FUCKING COMMITTEE!! My first choice would be The Stoughton WHO TAKES ME TO THE HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.
On a normal day you can pick an idiot out of a crowd from a hundred metres...Mizzzz. Catrone is a bloody lighthouse I can see a mile away!!!
Shunkleash (PBUH)
Lovely Ladies and gents, observe the abundance of Ham Pig Rage that has put pork chops in short supply. We now must soon have "The Day of Pigs & Ham".
This has resident owners of "Pork" & Ham checking their daughters and honor and thinking of taking more life's or going on strike to cook someone's pig.
One can see the pushing and pulling, rolling millions of Ham Pigs, and everyday Chops lining them up on the block to hack a little faster each day, while cheered on by this coming day of the feast by raging local native camel drivers.
Observe, also, the sheep, chickens, cows, the mooing, clicking and clucking, the screaming and are all trying to making travel arrangements to fly their own prayer rugs with local and world weasels to find a bigger pot, perhaps just an old gnarly Arab cauldron. I'm sure they well soon be stirred with long Sword into a single social gruel mixed with spice of camel dung, a handful of sand, an essence of oil.
"Showing of Danish flag roils town,"
And does the "showing" of the American flag roil them up too?
Makes one wonder.
Here's a link to the Stoughton, MA Mayor's Office. You can tell Mayor Stankiewicz how you feel about flying the Danish flag (and maybe, en passant, give him some ammo to confront the hateful Hate Commission).
Seymour Paine (PBUM)
So living in the West we are now supposed to hang our heads in shame and live as if we are under Sharia! - BULLFEATHERS!!!! So those folks at Stoughton,MA townhall are afraid of the Muslims - so much for the religion of peace - offend one, the townhall will be stormed and burned down?! Doesn't this insult those Muslims who would never think of doing such a thing?
One of the advantages of living in the West is the freedom of speech and expression - it is also one of the disadvantages.
If those from non-Western traditions and also those at Stoughton, MA Townhall - do not understand this, they need to either resettle in a country where they will not be insulted (Iran, Saudia Arabia) or will be able to live a life with hung head as a Dhimmi (from MA, no doubt they are DHIMMICRATS!). Voltaire is rolling in his grave - just think of the thousands who gave up their lives so that WE have Free Speech! We are free to offend and mock others' religions - even my own - due to the long-fought for Western Tradition of Free Speech and Artistic Expression or learn to live and let live in the West.
The idea of "I believe in free speech, but not when it comes to disrespect for Islam or the Prophet. One must respect Islam and the Prophet!" or from Stoughton, MA townhall folks "No, don't fly the Danish flag - that may bring some problems!" Sorry - that is NOT free speech - that is censored speech!
That was the exact reason the Danish newspaper published the Muhammed cartoons - to see whether or not there was self-censorship due to Islam. Golly gee - that is exactly what the Danes discovered! and also what these guys in MA are doing - self-censorship due to the possibility of offending someone! How about the person who may be offended by a Danish flag who is not Muslim, but whose first love was a Dane and then dumped them - goodness - we must watch out for any possible offense - no matter how remote! Free speech is fine EXCEPT for when a Muslim's feelings are or "may" be hurt.
Many of the Muslim demonstrators in London and throughout the world held up signs saying "Behead those who insult the Prophet/Islam" and other such violent, hatefilled placards. Where are all of the people - Muslims and non-Muslims - who are insulted/had their feelings hurt by such hate-filled speech threatening to burn the embassies of Jordan, Lebanon, etc.?
My feelings are hurt when I read about/see videos of beheadings, honor killing, child marriage, but I do not take to the streets burning Pakistani, Saudi, etc flags, or torching their embassies!
I have several questions I wish would be addressed:
1. why didn't the publication of the exact same cartoons during Ramadan (October 2005) in an Egyptian newspaper result in violence towards the Egyptian newspaper's offices and editors?
2. if such demonstrations were spontaneous where did all of those Danish and Norwegian flags come from? How common are such flags in people's homes? Due to the "zionist" plots having US and Israeli flags at home areof course understandable...but Danish and Norwegian?
3. why were three additional cartoons shown when these three were not in the original twelve? Where did these additional cartoons come from? Whose idea was it to add these to the original cartoons? And these additional three were worse than any of the original twelve!
4. if depicting Mohammed is against Islam, why are there so many depictions of Mohammed by Muslim artists - see examples listed below - in existence? Why were such paintings allowed then, but not now? The examples listed below are in Western Museums today. Would they be destroyed if in Iran, Saudi Arabia today?
Miniature of Mohammed re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami Al-Tawarikh ("The Universal History" written by Rashid Al-Din), a manuscript in the Library of the University of Edinburgh; illustrated in Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315.
The Night Journey of Muhammad on His Steed, Buraq; leaf from a copy of the Bustan of Sacdi, dated 1514. From Bukhara, Uzbekistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation; leaf from a copy of the Majmac al-tawarikh (Compendium of Histories), ca. 1425; Timurid. From Herat, Afghanistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Journey of the Prophet Muhammad; leaf from a copy of the Majmac al-tawarikh (Compendium of Histories), ca. 1425; Timurid. Herat, Afghanistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
5. In the EU there are laws against hate speech - why aren't these demonstrators in the EU with placards saying "Behead those who insult Islam" arrested for inciting violence against non-Muslims?
6. Why isn't CAIR out lambasting those Muslims with such hate-filled speech and placards instead of saying "Respect Islam!" Respect is a two-wat street in the West - not one-way as in a Muslim majority area!
Any insight from anyone out there? All of this sickens me!
The other veteran, though, is right. Denmark is a sovereign country, not a state or corporation within the US, so flying their flag under the US flag is dis-respectful.
But as for the town elders, they ought to be deported to Damascus where the wrath of the Arab street would be upon them - simply because they are infidels who look like Danes.
Let them try to fly the Revolutionary War flag of Massachusetts, a white field with a green pine tree and the black motto above "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN".
The town wusses would have a collective heart attack.
This just sounds like a typical tiny burb's example of moronic meddling into everything because of the yawning emptiness of their personal lives.
The smaller the power, the larger the egos.
In their pinheadedness they feel that you dare not do anything that could possibly offend anyone.
Next they'll want the tips of the stars on the American flag blunted so that no one will feel threatened by them.
Babbitts, redux.
I totally agree with Mr. Stankiewcz when he says:
"Western countries will cave in to terrorist threats unless they stick together".
Its time the west had a meeting of all the countries on how best to stand up to the threat of Islam. Every day somewhere in the world, they bomb, behead, terrorise, burn, loot,destroy and behave like savages. Its time the western countries stopped Muslim immigration, there are too many of them over here in Europe already. None of them have any loyalty whatsoever to their adopted countries. Why dont they immigrate or go to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan & Indonesia, then they will not feel a clash of cultures or civilization. The west is getting tired of all the madness and the mayham that they create each week.
"Cojones:" lost in translation...
civilization lost for lack of cojones,
females in charge but not responsible...
Dole in Saudi sucking.....?????
= NEW WORLD ORDER!!!
Father Bush would call that 'thousand points of light...'
Son Bush calls it "WOT"
This from the state that gives us the war coward, forgerer, and fraud John Kerry and the coward Ted Kennedy, plus Barney Frank as a throw-in... what's to be surprised about?