February 13, 2008
There and Back Again
Since I subscribe whole-heartedly to freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom from oppression, I should readily post pictures of the Muhammad cartoons. (After all, if they offend you, then don't look at them.) But, this controversy is larger (yes, larger) than the great prophet himself, imaged or otherwise. I have to stand up, and stand against fundamentalism of all kinds. Believe what you want, but a free society cannot tolerate death threats against cartoonists, or the murder of film directors, or threats against defectors. I study the selective processes that influence the evolution of species, and I need to be able to walk down the street without thinking that an anti-evolution fundamentalist isn't going to strike me down. My boyfriend works for an organization representing the collective social interests of local Jews, and he needs to be able to go to work without fearing that someone's going to walk in and start shooting people for being Jewish or supporting Jews. In that sense, we've drawn our own Muhammad cartoons. What we do offends fundamentalists somewhere, but actions against us for these percieved offenses threaten the freedoms of everyone everywhere. For every Theo Van Gogh murdered, or Danish cartoonist threatened, we all lose - bit by bit, drip by drip.
So, come what may, here's what I have to say:
I stand with you, all the way.