tv censorship

[Duke]

Have you ever been on the losing end of a fight, like got your teeth knocked out or suffered a broken rib? And all for nothing?

Since when is defending your personal liberty "for nothing"?

 

[Dotini]

why should we be giving up our liberties because a group of radicals are threatening us?

Since when is defending your personal liberty "for nothing"?

I intensely agree with both of you. I'm merely calling for tact, prudence and long-term scientific thinking in the resolution of human conflict. Some belated censorship, in lieu of any initial prudence, is justified in this TV cartoon case. This is not "succumbing" or giving up liberties.

Respectfully,
Dotini

 

[Danoff]

It's unwise to gratuitously insult or provoke others.

That all depends on why you're doing it. In this case, it is being done to fight the system of fear that those who deal in terror enjoy the benefits of.

Terrorists (as the name implies), generally rely on the fear in others to achieve their ends. Southpark is standing up to that manipulation, they are attempting to show themselves and Americans in general as unafraid. This is probably the best possible way to simultaneously fight terrorism and remind us why our ancestors fought and died for the freedoms we're so willing to give up in the name of safety. I find it a wise move.

 

[Joel]

I intensely agree with both of you. I'm merely calling for tact, prudence and long-term scientific thinking in the resolution of human conflict. Some belated censorship, in lieu of any initial prudence, is justified in this TV cartoon case. This is not "succumbing" or giving up liberties.

Respectfully,
Dotini

Then what is it? It's being intimidated by threats made by extremists groups, and changing what you were going to say.


@ Danoff

I think what happened with the second episode was an unwise move. I doubt that Trey and Matt wanted all the censorship, but the network forced it. To quote Dotini, "It frightens me" that the network changed the episode because of a few threats.

And at the "why you're doing it", I agree. It's not like South Park is dissing Muhammad or anything.

 

[Duke]

I intensely agree with both of you. I'm merely calling for tact, prudence and long-term scientific thinking in the resolution of human conflict.

That works quite well when both sides practice approximately the same method. Such is not the case in this instance.

Some belated censorship, in lieu of any initial prudence, is justified in this TV cartoon case. This is not "succumbing" or giving up liberties.

Respectfully,
Dotini

I respectfully but completely disagree. To change intended behaviour based on an almost-insultingly-thinly veiled threat is indeed succumbing. If one party (the cartoonists) is required to have patience, tact, and sensitivity, why is the other side (the religious extremists) allowed to get away with intimidation and hate?

It is precisely because militant Islam "bites hard" that it is imperative that we continue to demonstrate our lack of fear and the ineffectiveness of threats and terror.

Censoring the cartoon is precisely the same as buying a hysterical child the new toy it is screaming for, and the results are equally inevitable - the child learns a proven way to force you to submit, and will not hesitate to use it again.