Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories City of Ashland to consider making recorder position appointive, not elective 'Fill'er up' will mean with beer, not gas Ashland Creek Park opening celebration set for May 20 Southern Oregon University's week-long Arts & Research showcase offers a potpourri of academics 'Guitar Player' book recalls the heady days of the '70s and '80s Education Southern Oregon University's week-long Arts & Research showcase offers a potpourri of academics Ashland Middle School students put their Spanish-speaking skills to the test Grizzlies claim speech championship Levy backers eye final push Neal Simon: This is a test Environment Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Stopping fire in its tracks Some trails, roads remain closed due to controlled burn Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Business 'Fill'er up' will mean with beer, not gas Ride & Drive: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe Ashland Safeway closes Thursday, to reopen as Haggen on Sunday Cars We Remember: Car enthusiast wishes new model designs were ‘more different’ Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Politics and elections City of Ashland to consider making recorder position appointive, not elective Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Gray's death Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved State News Lack of snow nixes ski portion of popular Central Oregon race Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Kenneth Lee Nichols R. Charles "Charlie" Snyder Death Notices Harry D. Detwiler Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Raiders Maguin, Parks, Sanders highlight first day of CCC track meet Chris Singleton: No need for a rematch Ashland boys sweep doubles, beat GP Living on the edge SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team High school Raiders Maguin, Parks, Sanders highlight first day of CCC track meet Ashland boys sweep doubles, beat GP Living on the edge SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team Ashland softball team rolls past Springfield Southern Oregon University Raiders Maguin, Parks, Sanders highlight first day of CCC track meet SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team See you in August Same old Raiders Ashland softball team rolls past Springfield Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ambrose spins a conservative fantasy Herb Rothschild Jr.: The courage to ask James Jackson: Who’s driving your fear? Landgren cartoon: What the frack? Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s important election – in royal political context Editorial Our View: Forest work is a bargain Our View: What price history? Our View: Waging peace after war Our View: Rail car roulette Our View: Reading the tea leaves Letters Letters to the Editor, May 8 Letters to the Editor, May 6 Letters to the Editor, May 5 Letters to the Editor, May1 Letters to the Editor, April 30 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ambrose spins a conservative fantasy Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Guest Opinion: Making conservation a game Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Columns Guest Opinion: Ambrose spins a conservative fantasy Herb Rothschild Jr.: The courage to ask Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s important election – in royal political context Matthew T. Mangino: Aging prisoners: An American crisis Jeffrey Gillespie: Is there a right to offend? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest Movie listings: May 8-14 Dancing People Company presents 'Salon Series' 5 picks for live entertainment Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability 'Arsenic and Old Lace' has killer charm Some OSF crew members seek to unionize Music The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Interview: Country singer Suzy Bogguss enjoying life on the road The Farr Side: CMAs do it right, in many ways Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music Visual Art Movies Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Tom Hardy adapts to life as Mad Max Movie listings: May 8-14 Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Food and Drink Taqueria Picaro takes over Tabu space Owner of Mix and Amuse to bring Flip burger joint to Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Community Blog: Inspiration is the Oxygen of our Survival Inner Peace: Satyam, shivam, sundram (truth, consciousness, joy/beauty) Looking Up: Once in a while a star blows up Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day Orthodox Church raising funds to build new home Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Mocha Musings Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW 'Fill'er up' will mean with beer, not gas ... Ashland Creek Park opening celebration set for May 20 ... Southern Oregon University's week-long Arts & Research showcase offers a potpourri of academics ... 'Fill'er up' will mean with beer, not gas ... Ashland Creek Park opening celebration set for May 20 ... Southern Oregon University's week-long Arts & Research showcase offers a potpourri of academics ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: Is there a right to offend? DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> On Sunday night, two militant Islamic gunmen drove up to an event in Garland, Texas, where they shot a security guard, then were shot at and killed by police officers. The event was created as a deliberately provocative political publicity stunt and featured, as a central theme, a competition for the best caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. When local authorities heard of the event, they made a decision to ignore it, in an attempt to limit publicity and the possibility of friction. Apparently, despite their best efforts, word did get out to the extent that two thugs who admired ISIS attempted yet another mass killing under the authority of Sharia law. To what extent is freedom of speech considered reasonable before it becomes a provocation that endangers people's lives? At what point does an event that stokes the fires of an inflammatory issue need to be monitored by the authorities in order to provide for the safety of those involved? Many attendees at the Curtis Culwell Center were self-proclaimed anti-Islamic activists. Mike Huckabee, the Republican presidential candidate, was quick to blame President Obama for not being sufficiently vigilant in providing federal protection. The suggestion that the shooting is somehow the fault of the administration is laughable; even more ridiculous is the fact that Huckabee is running on a platform of limited government, but seems to expect the President of the United States to mobilize Homeland Security whenever some right-wing provocateur decides it might be a good idea to hide behind the the First Amendment as a means of instigating violence and promoting prejudice. That being said, there is still a case to be made for the problem of violence in radical Islam. We're all well aware of isolated incidents of religious fanaticism in other faiths — the horrors of the Eric Rudolph bombings at the 1994 Olympics come to mind immediately, as do the murders of abortion doctors John Britton and George Tiller. The reason these events are so easy to cite is that contemporary occurrences of radical Christian terrorism have been relatively rare. The anti-theist argument is that all religions are wrong in the same way, in that they emphasize faith over reason. However, there is a unique quality of toxicity in the Islamic fundamentalist agenda. The objectives of this particular strain of an otherwise quite beautiful faith are as follows: that there should be global Sharia law, and that the best and holiest route to that outcome should be a never-ending jihad that sets the infidel firmly within its sights. Radicalized Muslims believe it is their right — indeed, their duty — to carry out such a war, and they are encouraged to do so by a significant percentage of their religious leadership. When any thinking person compares this mindset to a provocation such as the rather ridiculous cartooning competition held by a small-time blogger in a city in northeast Texas that was the most recent target of said zealotry, there is only one sane conclusion. A seriously disproportionate response is at play in aspects of the Islamic faith when confronted with a perceived insult, however slight. Of course, there are underlying factors. But there has been a shift, of late, toward a sort of brutal pettiness in the philosophy of the average mujahid. It's one thing to fight in a war zone against a professional soldier. But to gun down a multitude of civilian columnists and artists in the heart of Paris (as in the now notorious Charlie Hebdo massacre) sends another message altogether. That message is clear: Any threat, imagined or real, to the devotee's interpretation of his or her faith, will be met with violence — against any target. That distinction creates a serious problem for free speech — a very real threat to one of the seminal pillars of democracy. There is the hope that things will become less polarized over time, but history suggests the opposite. Where to from here? Only time will tell. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501