Osama bin Laden--could lighten up.

I know, I know. We'll never really see Mr. 9/11 as a wild and crazy guy. I came to the conclusion, oh, around the time of the USS Cole attack, that he was not doing things for the funny. His latest release (if it's him) indicates dire things in retribution for--the Danish cartoons first shown in 2005.

Now, this was, in fact, a pretty big deal in 2005. Riots, protests, lost lives. Oddly enough, however, when an attempt was made at dangerous doings over these snippets, they got reposted. This was probably not even remotely the intent of anyone planning perpetrating harm on the cartoonist. The reason it was done, however, is because there are many people who consider human lives more important, and freedom of speech more important, than the perception of insult.

I will repeat that part. The perception of insult. The cartoons themselves meant no harm to the religion as a whole, but only to a part. The cartoons may depict a certain impression of the religion--but where did that impression come from? The cartoon may offend, but where is the source of the offense?



If there is a perception of violence, this is part of the reason. This is the face many people see when they think of Islam. They associate it with the violence, and can not see that there is a world of people who do not share in that violence. More violence can not shake that impression. Only dialogue could. Dialogue is not begun at the tip of a rifle. It begins with people listening to both sides. It is not encouraged by threats.

Perhaps Osama is in a cave. With no modem, or he'd know that these cartoons are all over teh intertubes, and sure to be recycled by any and all who protest the idea of violence in answer to simple speech. Or given that he's hung up on 2005, maybe it's no wonder some people think he's dead. Just saying. Although he still puts out recordings. Not bad for a dead dude.