Sender: -2.4 (spamval) -- NONE
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws;   s=s1024; d=yahoo.com;   h=Message-ID:Received:Date:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding;   b=V+OWrdUEvMpVlQewW7Qe5FRzKcCpg0mTADxOJJXKA7kcMbxLoTqtyWAxJCll4V82kjGLMl8xbojgA61aF0BUIqcUnYpEpRdEiLNqXFPXhcsoVh8O/+7+pmkKReCgerjPd8yqpQyBjwT+clBhp/zG/+LEKUGwI7pFL0FmixBYfsg=  ;
Message-ID: <20060205025258.18543.qmail &AElig web81908.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0602041710120.7275 &AElig boston.eecs.umich.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 18:52:58 -0800 (PST)
To: Daniel Reeves <dreeves &AElig umich.edu>, improvetheworld-noarchive &AElig umich.edu
From: "Erica O'Connor" <luca2032 &AElig yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: view the infamous cartoons, support free speech, buy legos
Status: RO

The pro-free speech sentiment is somewhat misplaced in
this instance.  Considering how blasphemous it is to
depict Mohamed, doing so in a pointless, stupid
cartoon provides no justifiable good to anyone. 
Naturally violence isn't an acceptable solution to an
offensive piece of media.  But general outcry,
awareness raising, and a boycott are perfectly
reasonable responses to this type of bad judgment on
the part of the newspapers.  (Granted, a boycott on
*all* Danish products is a bit unfocused and mostly
symbolic.  But if I were a Danish person I would be in
favor of a boycott of the particular newspaper who
printed this material.)  The vast, vast majority of
offended Muslims are taking these types of approaches;
and they should have the right to take action against
something that shows them and their beliefs so little
respect.  It would be a serious error to consider
radical, violent individuals as representative of all
Muslims.  Analogously, as an animal rights/welfare
advocate I vehemently appose being grouped together
with the fanatics who destroy research labs that use
animals.    
I see the comical depiction of Mohamed similarly to
representing American Indian chief mascots as buffoons
for the amusement of white people.  This is
understandably offensive, and I would support efforts
to encourage the remove this offense in a peaceful,
lawful way.  Free speech is not synonymous with speech
protected from all consequences.  There are also
important restrictions on free speech which are not
necessarily hypocritical.  
Learn to pick your battles, Daniel.  There are
egregious (and not to mention actual) infringements on
free speech everywhere that would be better served by
your attention.  (http://www.aclu.org/)
I understand why people are curious about the
particular cartoons that began this huge controversy
in the news, however, the links to other cartoons on
your website are gratuitous.  Please take them down. 
Thank you.  
-Erica

--- Daniel Reeves <dreeves &AElig umich.edu> wrote:

> And by the way, I'm completely serious about this. I
> think this is a way 
> that improvetheworld can literally improve the
> world.
> 
> Also, please don't be shy about chiming in on this. 
> Once the first 
> message is sent it's really no more burden for
> people to delete the whole 
> thread (as long as you leave the subject line
> intact).
> 
> 
> (PS, I can see from the web logs that lots of you
> have viewed the pictures 
> already so don't pretend you're not listening! :)
> 
> 
> --- \/   FROM Daniel Reeves AT 06.02.04 17:03
> (Today)   \/ ---
> 
> > A Danish newspaper recently published cartoons
> depicting Mohammed and muslims 
> > as terrorists.  Muslims are up in arms about it. 
> In fact, they've burnt down 
> > the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria, as a
> start.
> >
> > It's all over the news but no US newspaper has the
> backbone to print the 
> > cartoons.  I guess terrorism works. So this is an
> opportunity to fight for 
> > free speech by helping make sure the agenda of the
> radical religious right 
> > backfires.  And so, improvetheworld brings you:
> >
> > 
> http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/dreeves/itw/mohammed
> >    (or google improvetheworld)
> >
> > Oh, and since muslims are calling for boycotts of
> Danish products in response 
> > to those cartoons, you should also buy more Danish
> stuff.  Like Legos.
> >
> > <ducking>,
> > Danny
> 
> -- 
> http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/dreeves  - - 
> search://"Daniel Reeves"
> 
>