Here is an impromptu video Pamela Geller took last Friday night. I was in New York to attend the launch of an important new anti-jihad initiative (more on that later) and ended up talking free speech -- which is shaping up to be one of the most important jihad battlegrounds -- with the Danish freedom fighter Lars Hedegaard and the indomitable Pamela herself.
An Atlas Shrugs reader transcribed part of the discussion, centering on new attempts to establish a Free Press Society in the U.S. (Hedegaard founded one that is thriving in Denmark):
Atlas Shrugs: What’s the FREE PRESS SOCIETY doing?Spencer: The Free Press Society is going to RAGE AGAINST OPPRESSION AND INJUSTICE, and BREAK THE STRANGLEHOLD of a dominant dogma that is never to be questioned, and STRENGTHEN WESTERN CIVILIZATION.
Hedegaard: There’s one thing you have to keep in mind. THE BASIS OF ALL OUR FREEDOMS IS THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. If that is gone, everything is gone.
Spencer: Explain why. You have to explain why. People don’t understand it any more.
[When you have a group] that has the POWER TO RESTRICT SPEECH that descends from its perspective then you have a TYRANNY, [then] that group has hegemony over the others, then the others are MUTE -- mute and thus DEFENSELESS in the face of what they [that group] are doing. So the FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS THE CORNERSTONE OF A FREE SOCIETY, because it allows for DISSENT, which BREAKS THE BONDS OF TYRANNY.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS DESPERATELY IN DANGER TODAY IN THE WORLD, not just in America but in Europe -- perhaps even more in Europe than in America, but it’s coming here, ladies and gentlemen, its coming.
Free speech is not free...
It used to be that I would say, 'I don't agree with what you said, but I will fight for your right to say it'.
Now If you say something negative about Jews, even if its true, I will call you an anti-semetic Jew hater.
If you say something negative about gays, even if true, I will call you a homophobe and a hater..
If you say anything negative about another race,
even if true, I will call you a racist, and a hater.
If you say anything negative about Islam, even if true, I will call you a racist, bigoted, Islamophobic hater.
If you say anything at all that I don't like, even if true, I got names and labels for you.
And soon I will pass laws that makes your statements criminal.
This is how I gain control, and you lose it...
FREE SPEECH AND TOLERANCE
The concept of tolerance is misunderstood and twisted in the minds of most westerners. When Muslims feel offended or insulted because of caricatures of their prophet or on behalf of their religion their role is one of passivity.
They are solely seen as victims and all moral demands – also the demand of tolerance – is put upon the part using the right to free speech.
But then people miss something very essential. In a situation where we talk about free speech it is not primarily those who use their right to express themselves who should show tolerance. It is those who hears or receive the message that should be tolerant.
Free speech means that you recognize the right of other people to express opinions or points of views that you do not share and even find exceptionable. You tolerate that they express their opinions also if they are contrary to what you hold dear and true. You do not fight such opinions by violence and threats of violence but only with arguments and debate.
I nominate Lars Hedegaard for 'Anti-Dhimmi Award Internationale', 2008 (though he might have to share it with David Littman, who regularly beards the Islamintern in their den at the UN).
Now for a link to something I found both moving and beautiful, a banner created at the height of Cartoon Rage, when little Denmark suddenly found itself on a frontline of Jihad:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/010111.php
'No tolerance for intolerance. No apology for being free'
and the subcaption, 'No burka for the west. Support Denmark'.
Perhaps the subcaption, which is bound to a specific incident, might need to be modified in order to allow the banner to 'cover' the entire resistance to sharia creep and jihad, in the West at least:
'No tolerance for intolerance. No apology for being free.
No burka for the West."
Those resisting jihad and sharia creep in other places might possibly replace the cross in the left hand side of the image - which is the cross from the Danish flag, but can also be taken as a trope for Western Civilisation - with a suitable local image.
For example: A star of David, silver on sky blue (or, possibly, the Hanukkah lamp-stand): "No tolerance for intolerance. No apology for being free: Defy Jihad. Support Israel".
Indian resisters might choose a Diwali lamp for the image on the left hand side of the banner.
Great stuff..
a modern day "school of night" no less.
Who's bagging the role of Marlowe?
Prior to elections we had to constantly file complaints with the REPUBLICANS because web sites would not let us print our posts because our posts were NOT pro obama. So, we filed with the Justice dept. to the present the problems persists.
Does that sound like equality to you?? Does that sound like FREEDOM of speech to you??
it's a safe bet Obama knows exactly what his brethren are thinking is appro-tly stated Obama has been talking out of both side of his mouth every step of the way. Someone said the islamic jihad term ---taqqyiah an approved practice to lie thru their teeth to tell their victims what they want to hear so no one will know the "true" intent of what they want to do. The article went on to state that Obama does it quite well and whether he does it on purpose or not--well remains, to be seen.
TO the present OBAMA holds DUAL CITIZENSHIP for US and for KENYA. SINCE when does this mean he has the best interest of our country in mind? here is what is on his mind and we need to make sure we don't accomodate it. One would say his DUAL CITIZENSHIP is a conflict of interest which highly reveals the nature of his politics.
It is no surprise that on TV a commentator said OBAMA was a chameleon. Shortly after elections on another place on web the commentator said that Obama was a "trojan".
At another location...
We read this article,
Obama, Odinga & Kenyan Jihad
by Kurt Schulzke on February 25, 2008
Last night, I reported on Barack Obama’s active support of Kenyan candidate and Obama cousin Raila Odinga. What escaped mention was Odinga’s explicit plan to turn Kenya into an Al Qaeda terrorist incubator. A close analysis of Odinga’s MoU with Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi shows that — if Odinga had been elected as Kenyan president in the fall of 2007 — he would have made it impossible under Kenyan law for “any Muslim arrested for or suspected of Terrorism” to be tried anywhere but Kenya under Kenyan law.
Kenyan law, in turn, would henceforth be exclusively Shariah law in “Muslim declared regions” — the “coast” and “North Eastern regions” of the country – see the map, below — now visited by hundreds of thousands of western tourists each year. [See Odinga, Abdi & Obama: Which Islamic MoU is real? for an updated, detailed discussion of two competing versions of the agreement.] Obama and Odinga supporters want to label as a “lie” the MoU version discussed here. However, the evidence suggests the opposite is true.
It is no coincidence that this area of Kenya borders Somalia – for many years an Al Qaeda stronghold — site of the Clinton administration’s Bay of Pigs-redux, in Mogadishu, the event that serves as the basis for the movie Black Hawk Down. Also noteworthy is Kenya’s proximity to Tanzania, focus of much of George Bush’s efforts to save Africa and, arguably, where Bush is today most loved in the world.
In these “Muslim declared” regions, the Odinga-Abdi agreement would outlaw – among other things – Farmer’s Choice, pork, other “haram products” and “women’s public dressing styles considered immoral or offensive to the Muslim faith” for all women, not just Muslims. At the same time, Odinga would establish a Sharia law court in every Kenyan “divisional headquarters.” One foreseeable result of these machinations is that Al Qaeda would be safe-havened in Kenya, free to foment mahem and terror around the world. Little wonder that Louis Farrakhan has endorsed Obama for president.
The question every Democrat should be asking is how any American president – as Barack Obama seeks to become – could support a scheme so obviously designed to further the global jihad? Restated: With Americans like Obama, who needs Al Qaeda?
Conservative Republicans face a related question: In light of this information, could you in good conscience not vote for John McCain in November if the Dems stupidly choose Obama as their “daddy”?
Take note after reading this we read ---In 2006 Obama went to campaign with his favorite cousin Odenga in Kenya claiming they were christians; to turn kenya into a "safe-haven" for terriorist to turn Kenya into a SHARIA LAW state. Had they won the elections it would have meant it would be impossible to try prosecute "any" terriorist anytime/anywhere for their illegal crimes. The terriorst would have to be shipped off to Kenya where they would have been "safe havened". Since they lost the elections there was a pre-planned ensuing blood bath where christians were massacred and burned alive in their churches.
How many don't know that in USA 2 days before election the press too issued a statement of a pre-planned blood bath had obama not been elected?? Does that sound christian like to you. Does that sound like brotherly love to you???
Couple days ago, the news announced that Pakistan is now a SHARIA LAW state.
A few days ago found out that SHARIA LAW wants banking industry to come under SHARIA LAW RELIGION rules which states "anyone" is punishable by death for claiming the islam/muslim/sharia law murders and criminal activities are "bad".
Few days ago found out that the UN wants to adopt an agreement that guess whaat YOU GOT IT?
SHARIA LAW RELIGION rules which states "anyone" is punishable by death for claiming the islam/muslim/sharia law murders and criminal activities are "bad".
Now the latest is that so-called "fairness" thing. it's a blatant assault to squelch free speech--by claiming guess whaat? YOU GOT IT--- that "anyone" is punishable by death for claiming the islam/muslim/sharia law murders and criminal activities are "bad".
Go see for yourselves how you can help the
American Center for Law and Justice work to protect WE THE PEOPLE from that UN items above. Guess what they need signature support and if they don't get it?? there won't be anyone to protect WE THE PEOPLE anymore.
How many Americans don't know that the ACLU thinks Americans are so 'stupid" that Norman Thomas one of the founders of the ACLU said this Quote American's will never "knowingly accept Socialism, however, under "liberalism" American's would accept every fragment of Socialism; and one day wake up in a Socialist nation and "wonder' how this all happened. Unquote.
What we need to wonder is how the DEMS AND ACLU can think they can continue to count on Americans being as "stupid" as the DEMS AND ACLU think Americans are?
Quite frankly the Dems and ACLU's arrogance and condescention towards all things Americans and freedom---is appalling.
What author president or orator said---Tolerance becomes wrong and EVIL when given and applied to criminals.
Whom was it who said---All that is needed for tyranny to reign is for good men to do nothing?
Go see for yourselves how you can help the American Center for Law and Justice tackle the UN issue. they need signature support, people, and guess whaaat? if they don't get it?? There won't be anyone left to protect WE THE PEOPLE anymore.
feel free to cut paste print re-print and refute rebuttal or just plain comment
Wow, this video is an awesome tribute to my favourite computer game, the classic synthetic world exploration game MYST!
The overclipped headshot of Robert giving a slurred speech against the background noise is highly evocative of the video shots in the game in which the first-person hero is given cryptic instructions on how to save the worlds from destruction and tyranny. I could not believe the incredible resemblance you have to the actors in the game, when shot in this light, Robert. If you haven't played the game, check it out -- in the main MYST world, open up the books in the library until you hit the videos.
What you guys said was helpful too, and maybe the lounge version appeals to some, but you do better before a couple of beers, Robert, in my humble opinion. Still there's something to be said for the gutteral honesty of this clip.
Archimedes2:
I respect your insights a great deal, but in reality in this video my speech is not slurred, and I wasn't drunk.
Cordially
Robert Spencer