There was an old wise tale about a man and his donkey, and along his journey home he encountered 3 people who told him how to get his donkey up the hill. They all had different things to say, and were all angry that he was following the other person's advice...anyway, the moral of the story was that if you try to please everyone, you please no one.\n\nWhy are we so focused on being politically correct and tolerant? If something is wrong to us, why can't we say so? Saying so often offends someone else, and they say that it offends them, so who's more right? There is an instance of a particular news network that won't refer to Islam when talking about the terrorists, simply because it is wrong in their countries to mention Islaam or Ala. Don't suppress the opinons of the people. Just cause it sucks to hear doesn't mean we shouldn't say it.!!!
205952
Becuse we are still in the process of a massive social change in attitudes.  Racist, sexist and homophobic views have been the norm for most of history and it is only in my lifetime that it has become normal to consider that the races are equal, that religions should tolerate and respect each other, that homosexuality is OK, that women should have equal rights, and so on.\n\nA lot of hateful and offensive language has been eradicated from common vocabulary and this is largely a good thing.\n\nHowever, there will inevitably be areas in which the "PC" revolution has gone to far and some people have been unduly fanatical in their determination not to offend.  For example, my wife routinely criticises me for asking for a "black coffee" instead of a "coffee with milk" because she thinks I may give offence.\n\nIn some cases, the determination not to offend has violated the rules of common sense.  In other cases, the right not to be offended has trumped the right of free speech.  Over the next couple of decades, various anomolies will be corrected.  Middle aged white hetrosexual men will assert that they have rights too!
35988
I agree with the majority of the people here.  How could we possibly know the rules of Islam when we do not practice it nor study it?  I do believe in religious tolerance (as in don't start war with someone just because they don't believe what you believe).  Jesus himself said that we are not to offend anyone and that we are to live above reproach.  Now that the world knows, I'm sure the incident will not repeat itself.  I need to add that the violent protests are NOT necessary.  The majority of people know about Islam from what we see on television.  It is ridiculous to assume that everyone knew it was forbidden to draw him.
380618
Saying "I was wrong and I want to make things right"  takes a HUGE amount of humility in this pride filled world.  Thats just a people thing, I'm not going there with the Islam issue.\n\nFor most people on most issues, it is the absolute last resort.  Abandonment of others is preffered.\n\nJust my thought\n\nDavid
431020
This, unfortunately, is what the politics board has ALWAYS been. Now that the crass and crude here don't have candidates to insult, they turn on one another.\n\nThe shame of our nation: we have lost respect for opposing views. How will we ever stand together against terrorism, if we can't even be civil to one another?
127940
The Prince is not a Muslim and neither am I. But he, like myself, apparently wishes to learn about the Muslim faith in order to understand the people. It is through learning that misunderstanding and prejudice can be defeated and peace is possible. He wants to promote a positive attitude between Muslims and his own faith, just as I do. Not all Muslims are Godforsaken animals like Osama Bin Ladin. What is wrong with the Prince being a diplomat? He will be King one day and if I were a British citizen, I would want our King to use diplomacy and to promote peace. When our Towers collapsed, it was then that I took an interest in Islam and Muslims because I just wanted to understand the culture. I knew in my heart that Bin Ladin was not a man of God and I did not wish to condemn all Muslims nor Islam. It would be a grave injustice to do so. I remain Christian and I now have many Muslim friends and they are wonderful, caring, peace loving people. I too believe that the cartoon of Muhammed should be condemned and that it was a horrible, disprespectful thing to do. How would the English feel if someone did something like that to the Queen? While I'm sure it's happened, I'm quite sure that it offended people. Even as an American, I would be offended if someone did that to the Royal family as I am of British descent. If you wish to judge the Prince, then look at both sides of the coin. I commend Charles and the people of England for not condemning all Muslims as so many around the world do. Education and positive relations between cultures are the key to peace in my book. To remain open minded is to remain open hearted and God knows we need that now.
555080
I guess because alot of people don't understand what our military people are doing when they put their lives on the line. The words 'Politically Correct' comes to my mind. It seems that anything these days that refers to politics, the military, race, color, gender, etc. etc., is used and distorted by anyone who feels that they have been 'wronged' by having to see, hear, or experience something other than what they want to. We have become a country of the "Offended", the slightest thing can set someone off just because they don't believe in what someone else is saying. That is one of the reasons why America is so great, but at the same time, it has been mis-construed, twisted and deformed so much that anyone can be set off by something seen as 'offensive', or 'wrong' in their minds. I don't know what the content was of your entry that would cause you to be cited for a violation, but like I said, someone out there felt that it was wrong, and if it was harmless, that is too bad. I'm sorry to hear that.
438955
Not really, what's sad (and wrong) in this country is that a public figure can not say what the rest of us are (supposedly) free to say, political correctness is like a pendulum that has swung too far. We have freedom of speech, yet if someone says anything that will offend anyone else, there's a big stink. Political campaign commercials are free to bash and exaggerate negatively about the opponents yet Kerry can't say what a large percentage of us really think? Hell no, he shouldn't apologize.
530961
Janeyfre . . . whenever anyone attempts to find answers to horrible occurrences, it does not make them "Liberal".   Failure of one group (small or large) to understand the grievance of another lead to fiction.    The amount of friction it causes can be small or great.   If one side is ignorant to certain cultures of the other, and ignore these aspects of life, one stands a chance to offend and make it seem to the offended that it was due to lack of respect.   (Be it with fanatics or even a moderate society).\n\nThe fact that 9-11 happened should educate us that we obviously pissed a group of people off, enough to get them to kill themselves and take thousands of lives with them.   We called them cowards.  The people who supported their actions called them Martyrs / Heroes.  No one questions what caused 19 people to take their lives?  Yes it was horrible, yes, it was the wrong thing to do, yes, we need to find a way to prevent it from happening again, but in choosing to defend ourselves, it is MOST important to learn how not to fester more fanatics/radicals who will be willing to blow themselves up as an act of revenge.  \n\nWith the middle East burning for decades, (through generations), how can we ever expect to have peace in that region if "WE" the country with the most power continue to play the game that works to promote the growth of these radicals, some of which use religion, or some that simply believe an "eye for an eye" as part of their culture, where revenge becomes their duty.?\n\nIf we can't get past the natural desire of payback, then aren't we just following their lead, perpetuating our enemy's goal. . .to make more Martyrs?  You say we are Liberals because we look for "cause and effect" (looking for excuses) in what people do.  I say if we continue to act like rednecks. . .we can expect to have people wanting to use a saw on it.   No excuses. . .just reality. . .it's a shame only a few people realize this. . .(on all sides) . . .\n\nE LIB o NATOR  Your statement about abortions show how some people can be so callous in their thinking.  This goes against the grain of rational thinking and places you in a group not centered on reality.   I would assume you believe that statement because you listen without asking questions (as a liberal would do (to find excuses)).  Try to really think about what you wrote, and then find one person that LIKES abortion. . I'll wait.   Meanwhile, do you ever do anything you do not like to do?  Have you ever had an injection?  Have you ever sat in a dentist chair?  So, just because you do these things, it does not mean you like it.  Think before you write, our view of you depends on what you state.  If you still think you are correct. . .then maybe you can understand how a terrorist mind works. . .by being BRAINWASHED and without rational thought.
516070
Freedom of speech is not a problem in the USA.  It's alive and well.  Of course, we have our whackos too.  That is, some people believe so strongly in their opinions, that they leave no room in their minds for the opinions of others.  These types, tend to express their opinions as fact rather than opinion.  The next step is threatening others who have differnig opinions.  Happens everywhere; or so I thought.  I didn't think that was unique to the USA.  \n\nPeople in the USA also blast their politicians.  Happens almost every day.  You may not see the bulk of it in the news where you live (UK ?) but if you lived in the USA, you'd see and hear more than you might think was possible.  \n\nJust reading the questions and answers in this forum's Religion and Politics categories is enough to wear me out.  Too bad all the energy devoted to this can't be used to power our vehicles.  Would help my budget some.
651481
It is so because the rest of us let them get away with bigotry. We will gladly confront Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Liberals, Conservatives, Americans, French, Japanese, Capitalists and Communists with whatever gripe we may have with their beliefe system but when it comes to Islam, we shy away from making them uncomfortable. After 9/11, instead of being more answerable for thier baseless belief system, the wold has moved to allowing them to be more evasive. They are the "Victims" of stereotyping - not the perpetrators of more than 90% of terrorist acts in this world. They are the 'religion of peace'! Yeah right.\n\nA Christian has to struggle and give everyone a satisfactory explaination for his belief in immaculate conception or resurrection, A jew has to explain why he thinks God gave them Israel but a Muslim never has to explain why if God chose anyone for the job, why would he pick a womanizing mass-murderer to be His last prophet? A Muslim never has to explain why he thinks Jewish settlement in West Bank as occupation but why Muslims controlling all the land outside Mecca-Medina, including what is now Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan Pakistan, Jordan, Yemen and Syria not Islamic Occupation?\n\nAnd of course then there is the standard issue excuse that only 0.1% of Muslims are bad 99.9 percent of Muslims are peace loving. So here is my question: If someone gave you a glass of milk that is 99.9% milk and 0.1% cyanide, would you drink it?
399887
People being too politically correct is a major issue. It only dulls our senses to what is really going on and what is dangerous. We are becoming too...."tolerant" of immoral behavior, ruining innocence for our children too soon, allowing poison ideas to run wild in our country....giving too much leniancy to enemies of our ideals. ...etc. It's sick and sad. Probably a side effect from everyone being on LEGAL DRUGS pushed to us like candy from our doctors. It's turning everyone into zombies who think everything is fine and dandy.
36505
It is interesting to note that protestations seem to go only one way.\n \nThe muslim bunch cheerfully ignore "insults" published against "Jews","Buddhists","Shinto's",\n"Christians"," Hindus","Deists", "Rastafarians","Wicca's", "Confucians", "Bahrain's", practioneers of \nVoodoo,  etc. and then riot in the streets when the media portrays Muhammad for what he was, i.e., \na blood-thirsty intolerant tyrant responsible for the deaths of millions of people.\n \nNo doubt they have this attitude as they do not recognize persons they consider as "unbelievers" to \nbe capable of being insulted.\n \nMany muslim dominated countries don't allow other religions holy books into their country and forbid \nthe proselytism within their borders of other religions as if they had something to fear.\n \nMuhammad's  so-called HOLY BOOK specifically calls out for the slaughter of all non-muslims.\n \nIt was his practice when he was alive and this practice remains a part of this groups tenets today.\n \nDeath due to one's beliefs totally dwarfs "cartoons" printed in a newspaper. \n[Death seems to have some degree of permanency]\n \nUntil they disavow this part of their bible, the Qur'an, I see no reason to offer up sympathy for them \nand their religion for this alleged insult.\n \nBTW, I considered the "cartoons" to be to the point and very well done.
47039
A lot of it is a result of propaganda. I don't think we *all* jump to the conclusion that *all* Muslims, etc. are overly reactionary, though they are the "enemy" right now and many here feel it's their "patriotic" duty to hate them. But we need to remember that only a fraction of the Muslim population is responsible for recent terror attacks, not the group as a whole. It just so happens that the most vocal group of Muslims is the part getting all the attention.\n\nThis is the problem of allowing too much religion into our lives. Faith in a higher power is fine, but too much "devotion" elicits fanaticism. Look at the Danish cartoon flap - now in Iran, Danish pastries are called "Roses of Mohammed" or something like that. That and (especially) the rioting and embassy burning is an EXTREME overreaction to what is really a piddly editorial cartoon. Regardless, we need to remember not to hate the Muslims for their religious beliefs, but we can hate the way they think they need to carry them out. I can't imagine any religion truly advocates such violence or reactionary behavior - if so, it's definitely not a religion worth following.
549950
Muslim Man, I think it happens here all the time because people are so "anonymous" and they can post practically anything without censure. The 'Community Guidelines" are a joke. It's sad, too, because there are many people who come here for sincere dialog and curiousity, and end up being misled by those who are here just for mischief. I've been deeply disappointed in what I've seen here in this forum, and the unfortunate reality is, regardless of your beliefs, if you can't have an open and sincere dialog, then you really aren't doing your belief system any favors.
394891
Aha, but only Muslims have to condemn extremists - it's perfectly fine for everyone else to join/fund/support as many terrorist organisations as they like, cause they're on 'our' side - or at least the side of the government.\n\nOh how bigoted we are.
603248
Yours is a rather intolerant rhetorical question.  Tolerance needs to be consistent.  However, we need to protect ourselves from physical harm and what we all recognize as criminal behavior.  I prefer to permit people to express themselves openly and freely.  The terrorists lost the battle of ideas and ideals and had to resort to violence.  \nPlayground bully's do the same thing.  When that happens, we call the authorities to protect our rights.
383330
I think you are correct, although Its not PC to say so, since they are a minority almost everywhere in the world, and its not PC to say anything bad about minorities ( unless it happens to be a white Judao/christian minority) \nEDIT: If Islam is not a religion of violence, why is every single conflict today about Muslims trying to make others live by their rules, or about Muslims trying to force Islam on others.