I'm glad to see pretty much universal condemnation of burning the Koran. Even Sarah Palin says no!

Don't forget the beer and the bacon.

Now that's how to fight a war on terror.

Really.

Just like nice weather and healthy babies, people disagreeing with violence aren't newsworthy. Terrible, devastating storms, kids born with serious disfigurements and crazy religious folk with a passion for murder are all 'sexy' stories that have the media we all love (and I once worked for) tearing chunks off each other to get to first.

You know it's true. Peace loving people no matter what their religious views are or how they express them just aren't going to make the headlines.

Which is precisely why we need a giant nude beer-n-bacon love-in.

Why would Muslims in other countries give a shit? We are the ones who went into Afghanistan and Iraq and killed thousands upon thousands of non-extremists. We look like the aggressor and terrorist to them.

I read of someone who had hung strips of bacon from his porch thinking it would keep muslims away from his house. Just in case clarification is needed, muslims aren't actually scared of bacon, they don't even really mind other folk eating it (both the muslim owned stores near here sell pork products) - they won't eat the stuff because they consider it to be unclean, that's all.

So what you are saying is that posting in the bacon thread isn't gonna save me?

Win.

This is what sucks. If he does do it, all of the Arab news outlets probably won't report that it was the act of one nut-job and that the majority of Americans were against it. To them, it won't matter.

I agree with what others said and thought the same thing myself...don't cover it. The news outlets should refuse to carry it. You may not be able to stop his right to do it, but you can take away his platform.

Wonder if they'll throw in some shots of americans dancing in the streets as part of the coverage....

Jinx - possibly so.

Ordinary people do stupid, evil things every day. The real problem is the media that chooses to report on it. And how they choose to report on it.

But they'll continue to do so, because it sells. This is nothing new, everyone knows this, it's not some profound revelation--but "free press" has nothing to do with ethics when it comes to TV news.

They killed Theo van Gogh for making a movie, tried to kill Rushdie for writing a book, and rioted over some cartoons. I should think this asshole would also be a marked man, which presents us with another coundrum... as distasteful as it may be, we have to protect him.

That thought did occur to me Bruce. I would imagine he would have thought about that too. My gut says he will stand down at the last minute and say that he made his point on calling attention to the evils of Islam.

The police protect witnesses, and the secret service protects VIPs, but celebrities have to get their own body guards.

I still say it is hate speech and is not protected by the first amendment.

Not if his murder is considered a terrorist act.

Yeh probably from some holiday like memorial day. They'll write in that there was a whole big shebang about burning their holy book and andnandnandnandnandand :vomit:

From the AP... of course

I thought this thread was calling out for a picture when I saw this...

http://verydemotivational.files.word...-bacon-gun.jpg

Associated Press is not the only game in town. If it happens, photos and video will certainly be broadcast on Al Jazeera.

I'm well aware of that reality, but its nice that one FUCKING company stepped up and did the right thing for a change.

Broadcast? Al Jazeera will be distributing video tapes/discs to every half watt station in the world. :haha:

fixed that for ya

I was just checking out Al Jazeera's coverage of this, and saw a few details I hadn't previously seen. Not surprising, I suppose, because I don't follow news stories like this all that closely.

On, english.aljazeera.net, anyway.

A short BBC article on how the story is being reported across the Muslim world:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11232669

BBC just reported that the burn has been called off. Searching for link now.

Also reported on NPR.

ETA: also fox news and aljazeerah. No links, but it is on the breaking news crawl at the top of every news page.

Cancelled
Also the hosting service of the church's website shut it down due to terms of use violations. 2 guesses as to what that was.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...ebsite-yanked/

negative externalities, indeed.

so where does this leave everything. where do we go from here?

Have also heard that the pastor says he has spoken to the imam for the cultural center in New York scheduled to be built, and the pastor says he has a meeting at the cultural center site AND that the imam has agreed to move the site of the building. the report I heard ALSO said there was no confirmation of such an agreement.

I find this pretty Machiavellian on the pastor's part. if such an agreement does exist, then he's blackmailed the developers of this project. If such an agreement does not exist, and I sincerely believe there is no such agreement, then when it is denied, he can claim (falsely) that the imam reneged. clever, but evil.

And now the fucking WBC is involved:

http://www.ocala.com/article/2010090...f-Dove-doesn-t

Just as I said...he backed down. I think he was just making noise.

As far as WBC...not at all shocked that they want to be in the headlines again. Let's ship them off to Pakistan and let them do it there. I wouldn't mind seeing the muzzies take care of that group. ;)

I see these two pastors as attention whores.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Called it!

Now there is a "he said, he said" disagreement between the imam and the pastor about the "agreement". Gawd. I'm turning my attention elsewhere.

I think we should encourage him to burn them, hope some crazy faction puts a shiite-salman-rushdie-type-fatwa on him and call it Darwinism at work.

I read the asshole's bank called his mortgage, and his insurance company cancelled his policy on the building.

Let's ask Yusuf what he thinks. :p:

Sort of like the world wide blackmailing done by muslim extremists anytime someone does something they disagree with? Threatened executions, murders, bombings, etc?

So, you're advocating we start acting like Muslim extremists?

Or is it that you're still in fifth grade and you think that constitutes a reasonable excuse - "Well, Bobby blackmailed first!"?

There was some major discussion/disagreement this am on Morning Joe.
A couple times it got so heated they kept reverting to "sports is good"

I gather there are Muslims rioting overseas now about the Koran-burn -- on a contingency basis.

This sort of behavior makes me laugh.

Oh and the producer guy offstage said "F*CK" to Mika while the camera was on him. They cut to commercial and he apologized ... pretty funny. I hope it ends up on youtube.

Yes. Exactly.

I find the galactic overreaction on our part in response to such actions undesirable and unhelpful. I find it on par with capitulating with any other blackmailer or extortionist--it fuels further blackmail and extortion.

Take as an example our insane airport screening procedures in place today. I have no problem being forbidden from carrying onboard my pocket knife or box cutter. That's fine. Must I be patted down though? Must I remove my shoes though? No bottles of water, etc? Look at the threat; look at the response. Even if the original intention of the threat was some physical harm (or to burn some books), the end result of the FEARMONGERING was as bad or worse that the original threat! AND we have be bonus of not having solved the original problem! We're still at risk! Korans could still be burned! Blackmail *needs* two willing parties to both do their part. Blackmail *fails* when either party doesn't do their part.

**I** have the power to choose whether or not **I** am vulnerable or invulnerable to blackmail. It doesn't have to work. I hope it doesn't work.

Really? Why are you laughing? Because the real damage done by the actions of this pastor is only less than it could have been? Words count, and you yourself know this and believe in this and count on this. Otherwise, why do you bother to post? Words count for others, too, including those that have been incited to riot by the words of this pastor.

Someone died in the riots in Afghanistan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/wo...html?ref=world

Yeah, but honestly, that probably has little to do with taking a moral stand against the pastor's actions. If this thing had gone forward, I guarantee you somebody would have torched that church building as soon as the police left. Bank loses their collateral, and the insurance company has to pay out.

But wouldn't it be an "act of god"? :bolt:

lol !!

Wait.. so, the burning down of the church due to the Pastors ridiculous actions, is really just Gods way of telling him to shut the fuck up already.

Priceless.

LOL-- ever since our local feature "touchdown Jesus" got zapped by lightning, I've begun to believe that He really does take an interest in day-to-day things, at least from the aspect of having a sense of humor.

Oh, absolutely. Banks and insurance companies don't take moral stands... unless it helps the bottom line.

Can we make it kosher?

Qu'ran? I thought we were burning Korans. I feel cheated.

Moslem, Muslim, Koran, Qu'ran, let's call the whole thing off.

Has the idiot in Queensland smoking pages of the Bible and the Koran made world news yet?

Very cool.

You know he's a lecturer at QUT don't you?

What a tool!

Every time I see this thread title I think it says 'Burn a Korean Day'.

No, but from my experience it is what they understand best.

:corn: :lol2: what a maroon....

I reckon. Last time he featured on a news item I saw he was 'taking leave'.