Sound Politics: Freedom of the Press must be defended, one magazine at a time

March 30, 2006

Freedom of the Press must be defended, one magazine at a time

The controversy over the Danish Muhammad cartoons just won't go away.

Western Standard, a Calgary, Alberta magazine which recently published some of the cartoons, is facing a frivolous yet expensive lawsuit brought by radical Muslims before Canada's "Human Rights Commission". [hat tip: Mark Steyn]

Meanwhile in this country, Borders and Waldenbooks are refusing to stock the latest issue of Free Inquiry magazine which contains some of the cartoons.

"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority,"

[hat tip: The Stranger blog]

Seattle's craven daily newspapers, along with their peers around the country,deserve a good share of the blame for promoting this climate of surrender to the terrorists who seek to eradicate all criticism of Islam.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at March 30, 2006 10:39 AM | Email This

Comments

1. And all these 'surrenderers' seem to be from the left. This is exactly why you don't want the likes of a John Kerry running national security, or any other from his party for that matter now or in the future. This is exactly what you'll get!

Posted by: Me on March 30, 2006 10:49 AM

2. Universities all over the country are limiting discussion of Islam and these cartoons in the name of "sensitivity". I wish they would call it what it really is, "cowardice".

Posted by: James on March 30, 2006 10:55 AM

3. Borders deserves nothing less then to disappear from the business world. I for one will assist that by shopping elsewhere. Interesting how little the great defenders of free speech care so little about it sometimes.

Posted by: swassociates on March 30, 2006 11:31 AM

4. These are the same companies who make a big deal about "Banned Books" Month (or is it Week?) every year, right? Will be interesting to see how their displays will handle a case of something they themselves banned.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega on March 30, 2006 12:29 PM

5. safety and security of our customers and carrying this issue could challenge that priority

I don't think it can be made any clearer than that with regards to what we're up against. If one dares to cross Islam's tender sensibilities, be prepared for violence. And also be prepared for the powers that be - in this case, Borders Books - to knuckle under to the threats.

I, for one, am getting very tired of it. Tired of placating people who have no intention of being placated. Tired of people trying to appease those who view appeasement as a sign of weakness. Tired of people cowering in fear to a bunch of 9th century thugs who can't be bothered to join the rest of society in the 21st century.

See all those "Wake Up!" bumperstickers being proudly touted by liberals who believe our greatest threat is the current adminstration? Well, they slumber on while the real threat clearly makes its intentions known every day.

Posted by: jimg on March 30, 2006 12:38 PM

6. It is time that we took a stand against this type of Islamic fascism. If our soldiers can fight and die in foreign lands taking a stand, then the least a bookstore can do is carry a magazine.

Therefore I propose we start a boycott of Borders! We will see how much the "safety of their employees and customers" is worth to them.

http://thechiefbrief.blogspot.com/2006/03/boycott-borders.html

Posted by: james on March 30, 2006 02:39 PM

7. "For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority."

Unless, of course, it is to spread some liberal hallucination about President Bush and block his efforts to protect us from terrorism -- then it is OK to print whatever you want.

Posted by: RadioMattM on March 30, 2006 03:32 PM

8. What good is the MSM, including the Seattle Times,for anything anymore? Their betrayal of the principals of a free press is complete. They cannot be relied to report on anything truthfully and objectively, let alone fearlessly.

The press used to be called the "watchdog of a free society" but not anymore. Today the MSM are practically organs of state propaganda. The Seattle Times dutifully parrots the press releases of city, county and state. They even repeat the stale rationalizations of the Bush Administration for not printing the cartoons.

The sooner the MSM goes tits up the sooner we can get back to a free press.

Posted by: Bill K. on March 30, 2006 10:09 PM

9. http://www.mccranium.org/images/patr.jpg

Posted by: JImmy on March 31, 2006 08:21 AM