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I am <i>not</i> Charlie
The Washington Times ^ | 1/11/2015 | Joseph Curl

Posted on 01/12/2015 8:24:42 AM PST by Former Fetus

Shortly after a terrorist attack left 12 dead inside a Paris magazine called Charlie Hebdo, a meme went viral. People posted a new phrase on social media, held signs with the slogan, said it again and again and again on TV: “Je Suis Charlie” — I am Charlie.

The message was meant to show solidarity with those who died. And those who were murdered in cold blood were called “journalists,” therefore “Je Suis Charlie” supporters were saying, essentially, there but for the grace of God go I. They, too, could have been killed over freedom of expression. We are all Charlie, they said.

But it’s unclear just how many of those sudden supporters of Charlie Hebdo really knew about Charlie Hebdo.

The irreverent — the buzzword fellow journalists used was “satirical” — magazine has published dozens of cartoons mocking Muhammad, as well as religious icons. One magazine cover showed Christianity’s holy trinity engaged in a vile anal sexual threesome. In fact, that was pretty much the goal of the fringe magazine: To incite anger from those with faith — any religion; to mock those who believe.

And so it did. The magazine has been condemned by French presidents (several) and leaders of many religions worldwide. Editors of the magazine reveled in the hatred it could stir up among those with faith; and then they pointed to angry rhetoric accusingly, saying in effect, “Look, they’re as intolerant as we say!”

>>SNIP<<

But the question that went unasked in defense of the Hebdo “journalists” was this: Is it really the job of journalists to belittle religion, to mock the faithful’s beliefs, to denigrate those the faithful deem most holy — in any religion?

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: charliehebdo; freedomofspeech; iamcharlie; iamnotcharlie
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It's unclear just how many of those sudden supporters of Charlie Hebdo really knew about Charlie Hebdo
1 posted on 01/12/2015 8:24:42 AM PST by Former Fetus
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To: Former Fetus

They are Charlie, whether they like it or not.


2 posted on 01/12/2015 8:25:42 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: Former Fetus

If people really want to show their Free Speach resolve, better to republish the forbidden cartoons.


3 posted on 01/12/2015 8:28:39 AM PST by gaijin
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To: Former Fetus

This argument doesn’t fly because none of the libs making it cared at all about the provacative, offensive nature of the the “piss Crist” or “Elephant dung Mary” when they were publically disseminaed. To the contrary, when Christians complained the left did nothing but scream “freedom of speech” and artistic expression.


4 posted on 01/12/2015 8:29:26 AM PST by circlecity
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To: Former Fetus
They, too, could have been killed over freedom of expression.

And that is precisely why Odumbo didn't go to Paris...the last thing he wants to do is promote freedom of speech. For starters, it is one of the freedoms protected by the Constitution, which he abhors. Next, and more simply, he is gutless.

5 posted on 01/12/2015 8:34:15 AM PST by immadashell (The inmates are running the asylum.)
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To: Former Fetus

[ It’s unclear just how many of those sudden supporters of Charlie Hebdo really knew about Charlie Hebdo ]

Charlie Hebdo was by no doubt a very rude, crude, and offensive publication....

THAT being said they have every RIGHT to publish what they did!

I have to wonder if the reason that France is so worked up is because the French are Rude, Crude and Offensive and by attacking Charlie Nebdo the Islamists have attacked the #1 of the French and that is being Rude, Crude and Offensive.

It would be like if an islamo-maniac attacked a Football game inthe united states. We would probably see a greater reaction agsinst islamics than we even saw on 9/11.....

So did the Islamics attack Charie Hebdo, or did they attack the National Pastime of France???


6 posted on 01/12/2015 8:41:11 AM PST by GraceG (Protect the Border from Illegal Aliens, Don't Protect Illegal Alien Boarders...)
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To: Former Fetus

Hence my tagline since #JuSuisCharlie appeared.


7 posted on 01/12/2015 8:42:39 AM PST by ConservativeInPA (#JuSuisCharlesMartel)
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To: Former Fetus

I sent them my memorial Charlie Hebdo cover concept - a roomful of slaughtered cartoonists and a proudly smiling terrorist saying “Je suis Charlie!” I was in an irreverent mood too.


8 posted on 01/12/2015 8:45:32 AM PST by februus
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To: GraceG

What I find curious is how many of the “I’m Charlie” crowd support campus speech codes, the “Fairness Doctrine,” as well as a lot of the anti-bullying stuff? I bet some of these are also big fans of destroying pro-life materials.

Just a thought. Prayers for the dead, cheers for the worker who saved 15, and prayers for peace.


9 posted on 01/12/2015 8:51:12 AM PST by SpirituTuo
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To: SpirituTuo

[ What I find curious is how many of the “I’m Charlie” crowd support campus speech codes, the “Fairness Doctrine,” as well as a lot of the anti-bullying stuff? I bet some of these are also big fans of destroying pro-life materials. ]

Right now it is “Trendy” to support France and Charlie Hebdo, Next week it will “Trendy” again to be an apologist for radical islam....

The Trendies are such damned hyocrites.


10 posted on 01/12/2015 8:53:03 AM PST by GraceG (Protect the Border from Illegal Aliens, Don't Protect Illegal Alien Boarders...)
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To: Former Fetus
It's unclear just how many of those sudden supporters of Charlie Hebdo really knew about Charlie Hebdo

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech includes the right to be offensive. One can recognize their right to be offensive without supporting what they print.

11 posted on 01/12/2015 8:56:28 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: dfwgator

Correct. They are either Charlie or they are Mohammed.

Some few commentators have confused freedom of speech with the content. The murders were a direct attack on the Western idea of freedom of speech. Charlie and his ilk are the canary in the coal mine.


12 posted on 01/12/2015 8:56:29 AM PST by TheDon (The genocide in Iraq is the legacy of Barack Obama.)
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To: Former Fetus
It's perfectly fine to say that Chalie Hebdo material isn't suitable for a specific publication's standards. (We can argue over whether those "standards" are applied consistently, but that's another subject.)

But the point behind freedom of speech isn't to protect the speech that we agree with, but rather that which we find disagreeable, irreverent, and objectionable. To claim that something is too far over some line means a tacit assumption that such a line can be drawn, and lines like that are drawn in sand, not etched in stone - subject to being revised based on the current mood of the "common agreement", which by nature does not like to be challenged.

Personally, I don't approve of mockery of religion as a general rule (specific religious leaders should be mocked when they deserve it, perhaps). But that said, je suis Charile. Freedom of expression cannot be sacrificed to savages who demand it be suppressed.

13 posted on 01/12/2015 9:07:32 AM PST by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
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To: TheDon

The content is irrelevant.


14 posted on 01/12/2015 9:10:26 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: Former Fetus

I was Charlie for a while back when I was 14, but that was still no reason for muslims to kill me.


15 posted on 01/12/2015 9:15:22 AM PST by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: Former Fetus

Moi-même, je ne suis pas “Charlie Hebdo”. Au lieu de cela, j’aspire à être “Charlie Martel”.


16 posted on 01/12/2015 9:34:58 AM PST by ExGeeEye (The enemy's gate is down....and to the left.)
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To: ConservativeInPA

GMTA :)


17 posted on 01/12/2015 9:35:37 AM PST by ExGeeEye (The enemy's gate is down....and to the left.)
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To: ExGeeEye

Je Suis “Vlad the Impaler”.


18 posted on 01/12/2015 9:37:10 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: Former Fetus
I wonder how many Americans assume that Hebdo is a surname.

Of course it is from the French word hebdomadaire meaning "weekly" (from the Greek hebdomas, "week").

19 posted on 01/12/2015 10:11:37 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Former Fetus

It’s also unclear how the I am not Charlie crowd could so magnificently miss the entire point of the meme.


20 posted on 01/12/2015 10:31:48 AM PST by dmz
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