Monday, April 4, 2011

On Korans, Idiots, and Bigger Idiots

I've said it before, and will say it again. Book burning is tacky and offensive, though I'd argue that mass-produced woo-woo (christian, islamic, jewish, new age, or whatever) is notably less offensive when burned than the average work of fiction or, more critically, irreplaceable first editions and unique volumes (and just why haven't you generated digital copies of such, you silly gooses?)...

That said, that book-burning is an act of dumb-assery usually perpetrated by knuckle-dragging morons, hauling off and proceeding to riot and kill folks over somebody elses dumb-assery takes a special kind of moron, a sort that merits the respect and affection given a feral rabid dog.

I can see outrage if someone were to throw a couple of hundred practitioners of Islam into a bonfire (though I'd suggest that directing the outrage towards the tossers rather than "whoever we can get our hands on" would look less like the acts of a herd of sociopaths).

However, getting that stirred up by a loon burning a book *that they lawfully purchased and may lawfully dispose of as they see fit*?

That, my friend, is the act of cretins awash in magical thinking attempting - like a child throwing a tantrum - to extort false respect for a faith so fragile that it cannot withstand a book burning. And such tantrums must never be rewarded, as rewarding such behavior only leads to the bad behavior being reinforced and re-enacted in bigger and more dramatic fashion.

Thus, while ordinarily I would be repulsed, I would support the public burning off a 100 Korans for each person killed in the rioting in Afghanistan - just to get the point across.

Islam is not an excuse for "homicidal crazy", and such idiocy should be punished - not rewarded.

1 comment:

Mo said...

Isn't there a bumper sticker that says "Stupid should hurt" ?

It'll be a pretty scary world when being offended excuses violent behavior.

I've been guilty of stupid enough in my life to know that I should never underestimate it and knowing that I can only strive to learn from those "teachable moments."