Slandering Obama -- The UN Speech
Obama Jihadi?
Look, I have my disagreements with President Obama on particular policies, and I'm all in favor of ridiculing Islamists and their totalitarian aim of suppressing free speech to shield Islam and its prophet from even a hint of criticism, but this political cartoon by Glenn McCoy entirely distorts the President's rather vigorous defense of free speech, which I blogged about two days ago. That defense forms the larger context to the words 'quoted' above, "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam!" As for the actual quote (without exclamation mark!) in its more specific context, here's what President Obama really said:
The future must not belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt -- it must be claimed by those in Tahrir Square who chanted, "Muslims, Christians, we are one." The future must not belong to those who bully women -- it must be shaped by girls who go to school, and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons.Unlike the shrill caricature in McCoy's partisan cartoon, President Obama gave no jihadi call to arms against free expression, but instead recalled Muslims to the inconsistency of their outrage, and in the larger context, the President's call is for free speech, on both principled and prudential grounds, as can be seen from my previous post on this or in the President's original speech.
The future must not belong to those corrupt few who steal a country's resources -- it must be won by the students and entrepreneurs, the workers and business owners who seek a broader prosperity for all people. Those are the women and men that America stands with; theirs is the vision we will support.
The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied.
Despite my differences from President Obama on a number of issues, I have only disdain for the sort of partisan distortion contrived in this political cartoon.
Labels: Barack Obama, Freedom, Islam, Islamism, Politics
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 6:05 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
"It's a wonder!" Jeff.
Not so long ago I told first one daughter and then a friend (whom besides yourself it might be considered 'unusually') I admitted/said: I think I'll be leaving the choice for the President - unchecked.
And I remain unenthusiastic. There's much with Obama I can not agree to. But with Romney there is much I find difficult whether to agree or disagree. Comes down to, "What's what?"
With Obama I know Bibi say's he agrees with whatever Obama said even "if" to whatever degee Bibi disagrees with whatever he and his 'Boston Mutual' old friend says he says.
Of course Bibi disagrees for the same reasons.
And my "press the tab" choice comes down to a guy who's been running for President since 1996 who - if anything - is the exemplar of:
"Whatever it takes!"
We're in a mess everybody recognizes yet the main complaint is whether FOX has better ratings than MSNBC.
God help us.
JK
Romney was a cipher for a long time, but his 47% remark revealed his attitude, I think, particularly the "inelegant" way he expressed it.
Not that I don't worry about dependency, but the reality of that 47% is more complex than dependence on government.
But not that I've been quite satisfied with Obama either . . .
Jeffery Hodges
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