How To Handle Offensive Speech.

Back to the Danish Cartoon squabble.

What I want to do is to show an example of how to deal with offensive speech. So, the next time Muslims are offended by someone's free speech they will understand better how to deal with it.

The Don'ts! (i.e. What NOT to do)

Do Not

1. Threaten the offender with violence of any sort. This includes (but not limited to) beheading, beating, murder by any means and so on.


2. Do not approach a Western government about the offensive speech. Western governments will not thump their citizens for most speech, criticism of a religion is definitely one area Western governments will not thump their citizens for.


3. Do not boycott the entire nation's products.

All the above items do is to bring attention to, encourage, and incite more of the speech you don't like.

The Dos (i.e. What to do)

Do

1. Boycott the advertisers who support the offending publication or medium.


2. Let people know why the speech is offensive.


3. Express your concerns to the public via letters to the editor, blog etc.

An example of what can happen with properly handling offensive speech relates to a planned episode of Will and Grace. The producers were planning an episode for Holy Thursday that was mocking of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. People who were offended did not threaten anyone with death or bodily harm, they expressed their concern to the show's producers and advertisers. Guess what? The episode as planned is off.

The above steps may not work, but we will have a lot more respect if you abide by them.

Also, there will always be some people who will declare the later steps incompatible with freedom of speech but they are silly. Freedom of speech allows all sides to criticize the others. The number one no-no though is to incite and encourage violence in order to suppress speech.