Terry Jones: "I think free speech is really under attack at the moment"

[Boojatta]

Go to about 1:40 in this clip

[madinmaryland]

1. What part of "free speech has consequences" does this douchebag not understand?

[Boojatta]

4. Did you watch the video?

[msongs]

2. lots of people would like suppress freedoms of anyone who disagrees with their religion nt

[Zynx]

7. I don't want to suppress his freedoms, but I do think we should condemn him.

[seabeyond]

16. isnt it OUR freedom of speech to be able to condemn him. fuck ya. he gets to burn koran

and we get to call him out for it.

[Telly Savalas]

19. Really? I thought "Life of Brian" was pretty funny.

It's been a while though, so maybe my memory of it is too cloudy.

[Le Taz Hot]

26. Thank you.

The Founders placed the First Amendment first for a reason. There's such a double standard on DU sometimes.

[Mz Pip]

3. He's an idiot

but people verbally condemning him for his actions is also free speech.

What happened in Afghanistan because of his actions is murder. They could have just spoken out or ignored him. Ignoring him would probably have been the best response. Now the idiot is in the spotlight again.

[Drale]

5. When you do something to piss off a group of people

that is not free speech, that is being a douchbag.

[Zynx]

6. It's free speech, but he should man up and own the consequences.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. No, it's still free speech. N.T.

[davidthegnome]

9. I agree, it's free speech

But it still has it's consequences. I personally believe he deliberately provoked violence in an attempt to prove his religious insanity and intolerance for others has merit. I can't prove that was his intent, but the fact is that he was warned repeatedly by numerous people NOT to do this because it would put lives at risk. He chose to do so anyway. Now he has that right under the first amendment. Nonetheless... I for one hope that there will be painful consequences for his actions. I won't be in the least upset or sympathetic if something unpleasant happens to him as a result of his actions.

[Goblinmonger]

39. They get to kill other people?

Doesn't make much sense to me.

[DeSwiss]

10. Free speech is always under attack.

And it will always piss someone off.



- Fuck 'em.....

K&R

[northernlights]

11. actually, I think hatred and inciting violence as a pretext for free speech is under attack

And, exercising my free speech, I think Jones is a piece of shit and deserves whatever evil comes his way. It's too bad the nutcases he provoked were too far away to retaliate directly against him. It's too bad we have laws that protect inciting violence and end up crying when innocents such as Dr. Tillman are killed as a result.

[Goblinmonger]

40. How did he incite violence?

Make sure you fit somehow under the SCOTUS rulings for this one, please? He burned a book that some think is holy. Big fucking deal. They killed someone because of it and your only concern is that you wish those people were closer so they could have killed him, too? How progressive of you.

[spanone]

12. that's funny!!!

[Old and In the Way]

13. Free speech is your right, Terry.

And it's our right to use our free speech rights to condemn your speech. See, that's how it works. You can have Free Speech, terry...but that doesn't mean it's free from consequences.

[seabeyond]

18. exactly. i love these people that are ugly, yell there freedom of speech attack because others

practice THEIR free speech to call the assholes out.

[Pithlet]

20. I know. Funny how there are some even here on DU defending him

who want to suppress our speech. We even get smeared and accused of defending the murderers. It's crazy.

[Goblinmonger]

41. I defend him and you.

I won't defend the people the killed people because he burned the Koran. They are fucking crazy.

[The Northerner]

21. +1

[jwirr]

14. So he does not understand that he is the one who was attacking

free speech. Now he wants us to worry about his free speech. In the USA freedom of religion is a two+ way street.

[Vox Populi]

15. wtf are you lot raving about???

How many of those who commented on the video clip actually viewed it?

The clip is of Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, not his more recently-famous namesake.

[SDuderstadt]

17. I see that you've met...

DU's shoot-first, ask-questions-later brigade.

[Boojatta]

27. Welcome to DU, Vox Populi!

:toast:

[Boojatta]

22. Kick

[JoePhilly]

23. Terry should go to Afganistan on a Christian Mission and spread Jesus' love.

I'd chip in $$$ to send him first class.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

24. Well, a significant minority of DUers have been saying he shouldn't have been allowed to burn the

Koran - not just that he shouldn't have done so, which obviously isn't an attack on free speech, but that he shouldn't have been allowed to do so, which obviously is.


On edit: OK, I admit it, I responded to the OP without watching the clip. Nice gotcha :-)

[humblebum]

25. I used to love Monty Python. Great humor. But

these guys now represent the pompous arrogance that typifies much of the New Atheist Movement. They too are a threat to freedom of thought and speech. Terry Jones especially fits the bill as someone who doesn't think like him doesn't think for themselves. Very bigoted.

[Vox Populi]

31. Huh?

Nonsense. Atheists in general, and Monty python members in particular, are defenders of, not threats to, freedom of thought. If you are going to make stupid accusations like this then at least try to substantiate your absurd claim. In what way is Terry Jones (Monty Python) a bigot?

[humblebum]

33. The new atheist movement thrives on ridicule of religious ideas

and religious people. Increasingly it resembles a hate group, ie Hitchens exhortation to show "ridicule, hatred and contempt for religion." I'll stand by my statement. Bigotry should not be tolerated.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[humblebum]

37. No thanks. That would be no different than an atheistic dictatorship and

the world has seen far too much of that. Both breed intolerance.

[Goblinmonger]

42. Don't worry. Humblebum is a one-trick pony.

This drum gets banged a lot.

[humblebum]

44. Only when someone gives me a drum to bang on.

As long as the same old drum is there, I'll be bangin on it.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[humblebum]

46. You just said that bigotry should be tolerated.

That was also legitimized as a policy in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union against religious groups. Congratulations.

[Goblinmonger]

47. When your only tool is a drum stick.

Everything looks like a drum.

[Canuckistanian]

28. Oh don't worry, "Pastor" Jones

You even have "professional liberals" supporting your little 1st Amendment temper tantrum.

[Initech]

30. I'm in one of those arguments right now.

Look, I'll defend the first amendment without fail, but I will 10 times out of 10 denounce any act like this. Especially since I'm surprised that the end result wasn't way more severe than it was.

[Goblinmonger]

43. You aren't going to denounce those that killed people for this?

Yikes.

[Vox Populi]

32. I'm one of those defenders

Put me definitely in the camp of those who support Pastor Jones' right to burn the Koran. It was clearly an inflammatory act that was guaranteed to offend all Moslems, and send some totally apeshit,but there are many things that set off Moslem sensibilities: drawing a cartoon of Mohammed, for example, or writing a book critical of Islam. The fact that the act causes anger and may result in violent reprisals by a group is not grounds to forbid it. If this were the case, then any group that is offended by anything said against it could just act out like crazy mofo's and kill someone to get that offensive speech curtailed. In other words, we should not be bullied into curtailing freedom of speech. What if Christians reacted to the other Terry Jones' Life of Brian by rioting and killing people? Should films that annoy people in any way be censored?

It doesn't matter whether you are personally affronted by Pastor Jones' book burning: your sensibilities are far less important than the preservation of our liberties. And remember, it is only speech that offends some people that needs to be defended.

Just so you know, I hate book-burning of any sort: it is a barbaric act. I think Pastor Jones is a douche, but i couldn't care less if he burns a book as long as he bought it.

[Recovered Repug]

29. Wow, Terry Jones of Monty Python burned a Koran too?

The things you learn on Du. Or one could watch the video before expressing outrage.

[Rex]

35. And did he think free speech was under attack when GWB was in office?

Does he feel the media is to blame for making so much noise about his vile ways? Or does he just straight up blame the liberal divisions taking over the media? :crazy:

[jakestake]

36. There is no such thing as "free speech" in the US.

It is all limited speech and lies.

[backscatter712]

38. Y'know, if the Afghan fundies took a whack directly at Terry Jones, I wouldn't shed tears.

The way I figure, if the religious loonies get it in their heads to slug it out with each other and leave the rest of us alone, the world becomes a better place.

It's when there's collateral damage, like those UN workers who got killed, and likely had no idea who Terry Jones was, where I see a problem.