Danes feel Obama is greater than Jesus

[kandrathe]

While actual assassinations and beatings are usually restricted to abortion doctors and overt homosexuals, rather than cartoonists, plenty of wacko Christians regularly threaten violence and death to those who attack their beliefs.

Not every red neck is a Christian. Yes, there are radical lunatics even in Christianity. But, where has it ever been implied (by me) that all Christians are peaceful or perfect? Pointing to these aberrations as representative of Christianity is like pointing to Ted Kaczynski as an example of a typical university professor. On the other hand, seldom a day goes by without a homicide bomber somewhere in the Middle East extinguishing themselves along with a few dozen or hundred innocent civilians.

P.Z. Myers and Markos Moulitsas deserve some angry letters for their selective insensitivity, but then again so do Mapplethorpe and Madonna. No one deserves hate mail, or death threats. However I find it incredible that otherwise smart people go out of their way to defend the sensitivities of some, feel obliged to trample on the sensitivities of others, then ask incredulously what the big deal is all about. When you slay or desecrate sacred cows, you will anger the masses. Oh, and yes, you do become a target of wing nuts.

Freedom of speech does not mean you can say whatever you like without consequences. In a civilized society no one should fear violence or death for their free expressions, however, anger, derision, isolation, loss of employment, and public shunning are all real possibilities.