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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Erickson reports $75 million loss in 1st quarter Most cities in Jackson County now allow pot dispensaries Since You Asked: Disc golf course planned for Chrissy Park ... in distant future Emergency Services, May 12 Latino parents: More bilingual staff needed in Medford schools Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, May 12 Medford man sentenced in home-invasion robbery Man says he shot girlfriend for nagging Rogue Valley police receive training in dealing with LGBTQ community Man faces attempted murder in Medford choking case Politics and Elections Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Education Latino parents: More bilingual staff needed in Medford schools Medford schools still filling admin roles Appeals court rules against Central Point schools on bus outsourcing Hedrick principal to take helm at North Medford High School More kindergartners vaccinated in 2015 Environment Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Crater Lake may soon have China connection State waives college placement tests for students who hit high marks Stopping fire in its tracks Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford State News Mom plans to sue after autistic daughter removed from plane Oregon's snowpack at just 11 percent of average Dispute over local control drives Oregon pot committee to impasse Governor Kate Brown signs bill expanding gun background checks Josephine County preps for more budget cuts Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries In Loving Memory of Laura (Rucker) Hisamoto Donald Kent Hoyt "Donnie" Dickie Miles Hayes Thomas B. 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Our View: Cheers and jeers Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 12 Letters to the Editor, May 11 Letters to the Editor, May 10 Letters to the Editor, May 8 Letters to the Editor, May 7 Columns Kathleen Parker: Geller has the right, but commits speech abuse Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers George Will: The gospel according to Huckabee Dana Milbank: A performance by Lindsey and the Jets Charles Krauthammer: Free Willy! Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Guest Opinion: Child poverty and the Schneider Children’s Center Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan Lifestyle Latest stories Dr. Elaine Heffner: Mothers-in-law Prudence Hilburn: Mexican-inspired dishes easy to make, delicious to enjoy Green roof gardens have several benefits Gardens: Simplicity, sanctuary, delight Furniture trends: Style and storage Food Prudence Hilburn: Mexican-inspired dishes easy to make, delicious to enjoy Community blog: Kids in Brewpubs....... Community blog: Fruity french toast makes Mom's, or anyone's, day Community blog: Sorry, Mom, there's more than one beef stroganoff Community blog: Teatime is anytime when recipes brew new dishes Home and Garden Green roof gardens have several benefits Gardens: Simplicity, sanctuary, delight Furniture trends: Style and storage Home Help: Create the perfect outdoor kitchen space One-derful once-blooming roses Health Brent St. Germain: Weight loss goes to the dogs Community blog: Don't Fall for This Part 2 Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day New cardiac rehab center opens at Asante RRMC Community blog: You and Me at 83... Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Milestones and Achievements Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Drones helping create unique wedding photos Pick your favorite wedding flowers Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom 5 picks for live entertainment Live Music in Local Clubs Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest Dancing People Company presents 'Salon Series' Theater REVIEW: Randall Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors' a rollicking good time REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Some Oregon Shakespeare Festival crew members seek to unionize Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' 'Much Ado' at SOU Music Live Music in Local Clubs Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Tina Malia at SOU Music Hall in Ashland Earthquake benefit for Nepal Community Events 5 things to see at Art in Bloom Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at OSF's Black Swan in Ashland Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo 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 Victor D. Infante: ‘Avengers’ begs the questions, ‘Why superheroes, and why now?’ Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ has a lot going on Dining Restaurant inspections: May 10, 2015 Wood-fired pies at Peace of Pizza Trium is a classic example of a boutique winery Restaurant inspections, May 3, 2015 Taqueria Picaro offers casual Mexican cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Erickson reports $75 million loss in 1st quarter ... Our View: Abundant water no excuse for waste ... Mom plans to sue after autistic daughter removed from plane ... Erickson reports $75 million loss in 1st quarter ... Our View: Abundant water no excuse for waste ... Mom plans to sue after autistic daughter removed from plane ... ANOTHER VIEW Kathleen Parker: Geller has the right, but commits speech abuse MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted May. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The recent spectacle of Pamela Geller, the erstwhile journalist who organized a provocative Prophet Muhammad cartoon-drawing contest in Texas, gives pause to even the most passionate defenders of the First Amendment. Not since Westboro Baptist Church's "God Hates Fags" message — and Florida's Quran-burning pastor Terry Jones — has the principle of free speech been so sullied and abused. Waging a one-woman crusade against the Muslim world, Geller says she wanted to draw a line in the sand and demonstrate to terrorists that when it comes to free speech, America bows to no one. OK, we get your point. It's an American point, actually. And Geller's contribution to these protections and our unwavering dedication to its preservation are, exactly, what? A taunt. Shouldn't one at least aspire to some originality? It's been done. And each time, the result is the same. You haul out a picture of Muhammad; "they" haul out a fatwa. Cat puts out cheese; mouse gets eaten. What does one expect? Indeed, two would-be terrorists presented themselves at the exhibit and were quickly dispatched to their just rewards. Well, that's two down, I suppose. This is certainly the way Geller thinks, as her comments confirm. She has declined to apologize for instigating this unnecessary clash — remember when we preferred to take the fight to the terrorists over there ? She even claims to have saved lives by luring two terrorists to their deaths. Geller baited the field, in other words. As an operating principle, mightn't we try less incendiary means of problem-solving? I don't know, maybe something less likely to lead to violence? But Geller is a media creature and knows how to bait a media field as well. Make noise and the media will come. Draw a crowd and the cameras will roll. Become the "victim" of death threats — in essence, a fatwa —  and, voilà , you're on TV. (The MGM lion better watch his back.) Geller got exactly what she wanted. You're nobody in this town until you've been fatwa-ed.  Pray that no harm comes to her, I hasten to say. I take a back seat to no one when it comes to defending free speech — even that of the worst sorts. We let neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan march and protest because the true test of free speech is that unpopular speech is tolerated. That said, we needn't embrace or celebrate people like Geller, who intentionally try to provoke a confrontation. She's welcome to sponsor a cartoon contest, but we don't have to attend. If Geller wants to stand on street corners and shout her views, no one has to listen. Sometimes the messenger really is the problem. And oftentimes, the medium is, too. It is more or less consistently true that First Amendment warriors are forced to defend not only undesirable sorts but also really bad art. When a Danish cartoonist was forced into hiding following an earlier Prophet-cartoon challenge, I raced to the front lines in his defense. But I was painfully aware that most of the cartoons were amateurish and witless. A good cartoon isn't just a drawing but offers layers of meaning that illuminate in subtly humorous ways. The best ones are often wordless and artfully combine more than one thought or event. This seems rarely the case with Prophet caricatures. Perhaps this is because the driving force behind such drawings lacks the wryness required of the dispassionate disposal of one's target. Sometimes an arched brow is more devastating than an arched bow. The same, regrettably, can be said of Charlie Hebdo, if we can intellectually separate the horror of what happened to the magazine's staff in Paris in January from the work that provoked the savage attack. Not all satire is equal. Even so, the protection of free speech isn't only for the genius mind but for all equally. And though it takes little talent to draw attention to oneself these days, it is sad when someone flaunts America's first principle as an accessory to ambition or violence. Our Founding Fathers didn't bequeath only freedom of religion and expression from government tyranny but also the freedom to think as the enlightened progeny of some of history's most creative, inventive and philosophical minds. It is easy to imagine their disappointment at the character of today's debate. Kathleen Parker's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 11, 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. 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