Just a moment ago I saw a post on Facebook about how some Muslim(s) are offended by the term “Islamic Terrorist,” and/or “Muslim Terrorists” used on the memorials raised to remember the attacks committed against the United States on September 11th, 2001. My most basic and childish immediate response was, “So, who cares if you’re offended? NO ONE.” Then I thought about it. I can’t say my response gets any better but it at least becomes one that is slightly more thought through and can be better articulated.
Here is reality: If you examine the past twenty years and look at the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, the large majority if not all of them have been committed by followers of the Islamic faith. They identified their religion as Muslim. Rest assured that if the same was true of ANY flavor of Christianity, we’d have no problem in the contemporary world identifying the perpetrators by their faith. That any Muslim is offended by the term “Muslim terrorist(s),” while it’s a shame they feel that way, is also a minor attempted distraction from reality. Muslim terrorists are a reality. They have been for hundreds of years. That anyone finds the term offensive doesn’t matter in my day.
Which brought me to my second thought: being offended in today’s society seems to be a demand that whatever was found offensive has to be immediately stopped. We have an entire generation – probably two or three of them now – who can find ANYTHING offensive. I’m sure some readers will find this opinion piece offensive. That makes me an offensive person – or at least this published opinion. That said…
I am offended that they would demand I silence my opinion because they find it offensive. That makes me the offenDED offenSIVE. The really cool part is that since this is the United States of America, and since our founding fathers were smart enough to write the First Amendment into the Bill of Rights, just because someone is offended doesn’t mean I have to shut up. Just because I’m offended that they’re offended, doesn’t mean they have to shut up either.
Hate speech laws amaze me. I don’t understand how they aren’t a violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment doesn’t protect someone’s right to express themselves but only under the caveat that they strictly say nice things. It was written specifically to protect every citizen’s right to express their opinion – against the government or anyone/thing else – without fear of retribution or punishment. Now, here we are in the 21st century, almost 250 years later, and it’s against the law to speak your mind IF what you have to say might be hurtful to someone, degrade someone, etc. If that’s not policing speech, then what is?
What has happened to our society where, just because someone doesn’t like what comes out of my mouth, I’m expected to be silent? Consider this in reverse: if YOU said something I didn’t like, would you stop saying it? Would it even be reasonable for me to think you should? Since when did we stop respecting the opinions of others and demand that anything we disagree with, are insulted by, or don’t like in general, be stifled?
What I’m thinking is this: If I’M offended by YOU being offended, then we both have an equal responsibility to shut up about it. We’re either both equally right or both equally wrong, but either way – we both need to shut up about it. This practice of altering what is accepted in general society just because someone finds it offensive has to stop. It limits what we say and in doing so limits the thoughts we can share. If no one ever voices an opinion different from the one we hold, opportunities for growth, change, learning and civil discourse are all limited if not done away with all together.
Just stop. You have a RIGHT to be offended. That doesn’t erase my RIGHT to do or say whatever you find offensive. You have a RIGHT to say, “I find that offensive,” but that doesn’t equate to any type of justifiable demand that I stop doing or saying whatever it is that offends you. Just as you have those RIGHTS, I have an equal RIGHT to freedom of speech – and action, provided I’m not violating a law. That there are hate speech laws LIMITS my RIGHT to freedom of speech and this has happened because of the number of people who are so weak that they can’t handle hearing something they disagree with.
You know what? Think about what was said. It offends you? Cool. Instead of saying, “That offends me,” or, “I find that offensive,” why don’t you formulate your thoughts on why you disagree or why you find something insulting and then share your outlook in a well-articulated fashion? If you are insufficiently educated to articulate your thoughts, get educated. Don’t have the opportunity? Got denied good schooling as a child? I’m throwing the BS flag. Unless you grew up in a third world country… if you were raised in the United States, you were afforded the same opportunity as everyone else who went to public schools. Whether or not you chose to take advantage of the opportunity is on YOU.
Find that statement offensive? Get over it. The truth sometimes hurts. Suck it up, buttercup. I’m the offenDED offenSIVE. So is everyone else in the whole world.
