Both are freedom of speech. It disgusts me that I hear progressives coming out condemning this guy for his burning plan. So what?! He's like a troll. Don't feed the trolls if you don't like it.
Really, first it is cartoons or any depiction of, well, you know who (see, now I have been self-censored). Now it is burnt books. What's next? I'm sure everyone of us has their feelings hurt at some point. That is part of being human. If you can't handle it, look away.
And now a General is warning against this little plan of this guy? What, like the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan didn't inflame Muslims at all?! Ha, you just can't make it up, how ridiculous that sounds. Maybe he is planning to blame the failure of the war on Paster Whoshisname.
This is a prime example how religion screws everything up.
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The fact that other offenses have been committed does not lessen this one. Sometimes one gesture is all takes -- to make peace -- or to make more death. This book burning is not freedom of speech. It is opposed to freedom of speech. It is primitive, medieval superstition. The Renaissance overcame such forces of ignorance and darkness. We are the Renaissance.
Already nearly 3,000 of Gainsville's sane citizens and other world citizens have signed a letter asking (very politely) for the "Pastor" involved to rethink his intended stunt and listen, and learn from wiser heads.... Perhaps listen a little more deeply to his own heart, and hear the God of Love at work there.... the link to the petition directed to Pastor Terry Jones is at Care2:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/PleaseDontBurnTheKoran/
One Gainsville reader reminds us of this quote:
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -- Mahatma Gandhi
They may be the same thing but the difference is that burning a book considered sacred by those we hope will create a nonthreatening society will serve to reverse the work done to date and threaten Americans globally for no valid reason. But hey, who cares if we rally Muslims around the al Qaeda cause in the name of free speech? Right? Burning the American flag could have the same result but we have American law to punish those who retaliate against flag burners. I suppose we can continually use our military to punish Islamic terrorists, so I see the point.
Flag burning (within our country) represents a minority of Americans lashing out against majority rule. This Quran burning represents an attempt to get a majority to abuse a minority. Muslim Americans are already experiencing hate crimes across the country. This is aimed at fueling the fire. Even if one doesn't agree with flag burning, I think one can see that it takes courage. Quran burning is an act of cowardice.
To be balanced in this expression there could be an equivalent bible burning. King James version, LDS version, Catholic and Protestant versions, then Torah, Talmud, and Buddhist, throw in WSJ, mein kampf, Marx, and Adam Smith. Maybe the freedom of information act can get the plans for the Iranian regime change, and the Allende oust. It shows we like to burn things, and announce in advance.