Winner GLBT category
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it- attributed to Voltaire but in fact, a summing up of his philosophical views in the book: The Friends of Voltaire by Evelyn Beatrice Hall
This morning,
I fired up the computer,
as I do,
part of my morning routine-
get up,
stumble to bathroom,
get coffee going,
stumble back to desk,
check emails,
read news,
sort of,
via Facebook and such.
This morning,
it was all about,
the shooting and killing,
of twelve people,
in Paris,
at the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
I had never heard,
of Charlie Hebdo.
I am not very up,
on,
satyrical,
French or otherwise,
magazines,
newspapers etc,
cartoon, caricature,
is not something,
I know much,
read: anything,
about.
What struck me most,
about this,
is the fact that people,
many people,
are calling it,
an attack,
on freedom of expression,
which it is,
other people,
again,
many people,
are ‘saying’,
that Charlie Hebdo,
published,
heinous Islamophobic cartoons.
Perhaps-
that is debatable,
satire,
is not,
for the meek mannered,
nor the politically correct,
and,
rarely,
well,
never,
is it,
to everyone’s taste,
or even tasteful,
but,
that isn’t the point of satire,
the point,
is,
to draw attention,
to,
the ridiculous.
Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government or society itself, into improvement- from Wikipedia
We live in an,
increasingly humourless world,
of taking things like,
blasphemy and satire,
much too seriously,
seems to me.
People’s religious rights,
and,
at times,
quite insane views,
on infidels,
on sin,
on so many other things,
are given more,
importance,
than,
free speech.
It also seems to me,
that the radical religious,
points of view,
of any and all religions,
have taken,
center stage in the media,
wether it be,
the American evangelical right,
Jewish expansionism,
or Muslim Jihadists,
these are the representatives,
of these faiths,
we see on television,
and,
it is quite bothersome,
that the muslim fundamentalists,
are portrayed as terrorists,
but,
not so the Evangelicals,
and,
the Orthodox Jews,
and,
yet,
they are just as much,
perpetrators of terrorism,
the Evangelicals,
by killing,
reason and science,
and,
holding the American and Canadian governments,
hostage to their vision,
allowing people to be left out,
in the cold,
in the name of God,
and,
the almighty dollar
and,
the Israeli government,
attempting to commit,
what can only be described,
as genocide,
on the people of Gaza.
What has happened to our world?
There are good people,
in all faiths and non-faiths,
but,
these are not the people,
we see represented.
The insane viewpoint,
has the floor,
in the media,
it needs to be taken back,
by,
reason and discussion,
and,
attempts,
to get along,
and,
respect,
each other in the world,
we all,
share,
the vast majority of people,
want the same thing,
peace and safety,
a chance at a better future,
for them and their children,
people are people,
not horned devils.
We are allowed,
to not like,
Charlie Hebdo,
Fox News,
The Journal de Montreal,
we are allowed to,
not buy them,
to carry placards in front,
of their offices,
call them names,
even,
but,
gunning down twelve people??
no,
we are not allowed to do that.
Whatever happened to,
agreeing to disagree,
whatever happened to dialogue,
I’m a little bummed with,
the world right now,
people killing senselessly,
and the polar vortex,
not a happy butch.
We must keep reaching,
for reason,
for communication,
for kindness,
it is the way,
I think.
Be well, all of you.
Later girls,
BB
