Freedom of speech?

[gray_marian]

At what point does being gratuitously offensive cross the line regarding freedom of speech?

Charlie Hebdo draws Italian anger with cartoon portraying earthquake victims as pasta

[Rodney Mills]

He severely crossed the line as far as I'm concerned... but should he be censored? No. But were I subscriber I would cancel forever.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Cartoon. 1. A preparatory design, drawing or painting (as in a fresco) 2. A DRAWING INTENDED AS SATIRE CARACATURE OR HUMOR.

Satire: A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule.

There is nothing humorous or satirical in that offensive piece of garbage, I hate to think what this pig would draw and this magazine publish re. September 11, 2001, or the tragic murder of that poor British soldier.

The problem with censorship is who censors and where does it end?.

[gray_marian]

Censorship may not arise would like to think they'll probably go bust first!

[Chris Allman]

Following the killing of their staff which gained tremendous sympathy throughout the free world, they appear to be living on the back of that sympathy and can do no wrong in the eyes of the french people. They do regularly cross the line with regard to decency which cannot in any way be described as either satire or humor. I firmly believe that they have attracted the attention of the likes of ISIS and the religious extremists and are wholly responsible for the terrible terrorist attacks which have been brought upon the french people. There is humor and satire and there is irresponsible insult and I believe that a lot of their work falls into the latter category. As you sow, so shall you reap.

[j.sabourn]

I agree with what you say Chris, but by the same token a lot of what is happening today is all caused by Religious zealots. No matter what anyone wants to call them they are dying for what they have been willingly brain washed into doing. To blow oneself up takes some faith or belief to do, and no matter how we deride them they are going to continue doing so. We all know they live in a different world than ours, have different ways of living and different laws, and the only solution in the end is going to be similar to Hitlers to get rid of them. There was and is no one in the Western World in the past and now willing to illegalize these zealots faith, there were no borders to stop them due to ignorant politicians. So the deaths will continue well past our lifetime. The only solution when ISIS first broke out was to give them what they hope to achieve by force of arms was their own Sultanate, which means their own area of land to live in. Like various religious groups in other parts of the world do. The 100 year war with France will have nothing on this one, even though being fought with modern weaponry. JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

Free speech is the corner stone of any democracy, and yes sometimes what is said may cross the line. But we should still be free to speak our minds though it should not be done in a manner that may insult, though insult is a personal thing and what may offend some may not offend others.

[Chris Allman]

John S, I think that if the likes of ISIS had their own land, they would still want to radicalize people and spread their beliefs. If their current methods are anything to go by this would soon spread beyond any border and we would be increasingly endangered by a creeping cancerous growth of radical ***** that would see the end of civilization as we know it.

[j.sabourn]

Then the only answer is to anniliate them, as they cant be changed, then they must removed from the face of the earth..The Western world mostly is against capital punishment so they are not going to be able to do it. They must be returned to their own people to do, in other words the countries containing the same basic religion must all in every case be returned to their homelands, and all wars fought on their own soil. They cannot use the West as their body guard as the west is incapable of doing so. These news broadcasts of Isis being defeated in the field means nothing when it comes down to basics as will just go underground and continue the slaughter of innocents.We live in a harsh cruel world at the moment and atrocity in the end will have to be fought with atrocity, anyone now thinking holding out the hand of fellowship is going to solve all problems is living in a fools paradise. Also don't forget how Christianity was brought about and all the Christian martyrs were brought to heel, most of these people are still living in these times. Even though a few hundred years after the start of Christianity. JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Censorship may not arise would like to think they'll probably go bust first!

Extremely bad taste and if I were an Italian I would be deeply offended by making light of a tragic natural disaster

[Rodney Mills]

Chris.

Re. Following the killing of their staff which gained tremendous sympathy throughout the free world, they appear to be living on the back of that sympathy and can do no wrong in the eyes of the french people.

Sorry Chris, but the French press and Letters to the Editor are firmly against this 'cartoon' and the magazine.

Ivan, you are correct, the Italians are really mad about this.

I don't know about the reaction down under or in the U.K., but Western Europe seems to be firmly against the publication of this sick crap.