General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe "but" line.
Some people say "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo".
Some people say "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo, but..."
If, at the same time as condemning the murder of 12 innocent people, you also condemn them for insulting Mohammed then a) you're wrong - while the right to insult Mohammed is under threat, as has just been graphically demonstrated it is, then insulting him is not merely justifiable, it's heroic and necessary, and b) your implicit blaming of the victim completely invalidates your condemnation of the murder, in exactly the same way that "I condemn rape, but she shouldn't have worn a short skirt".
There is a clear, hard line in the sand, and that line is "but". The only acceptable thing to put after "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo" is "and": "and I support their right to freedom of speech".
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)I wasn't really a fan of their brand of satire.
Journeyman
(15,036 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)So I "honestly don't know where I come down" on the French tragedy.
Yes, this disgusting sentiment is currently expressed on the DU Greatest Threads page. The mind boggles.