Major problem with the burkha

[Beaux]

There's a lot of people who think you deserve to be laughed at and ridiculed for being gay. Doesn't mean you should change

Nor does it stop me from laughing at a good gay joke...
~Beaux

[Beaux]

I must agree with my neighbor on this one.

The joke, and jokes like it, are the worst sort of bigotry. It doesn't encourage change. It doesn't distinguish between respectable Muslims and terrorists. It degrades all conservative Muslims as stupid and backward. It isn't congenial, laughing at self while laughing at others. It wouldn't be any more welcome were it lampooning nuns in habits.

We countenance so much strong disrespect in modern society that we've become inured to the profane, the obscene, and the bigoted arrogance of "modernists."

The joke reeks of Europe. There is much clamor about racism being some American vice, but when it comes down to it, Europe is only about two steps away from the house of colonialism that it built several centuries ago. This cartoon is a convenient expression for racist fears under the cluck-cluck cover of anti-Fundamentalism.

Good on you, Matt, for calling it.

Really? I lampoon nuns in habits ALL THE TIME! Of course, I tend to lampoon anyone who subverts their lives and happiness to ANY imaginary friend....wether you call your imaginary friend Jesus, Allah, Mohammad, or Fred is really irrelevant to the hilarity of stupidity imo...
~Beaux

[Cuddly]

If I were a muslim I'd laugh it off. It paints a funny picture of how we non-muslims imagine a muslim household looks like (as in them wearing the burka's at home) and not that offensive.

[Matt23]

and just because you asked nicely [MENTION=21866]Hardheaded1[/MENTION], here's some more laughs for you:

actually, that bottom image is really spot on. muslims get selected for "random screening" at airports just like black people get selected for "random frisking" by cops ...

[Hardheaded1]

A primer in the use of propaganda in debate:

calm down

Recast your opponent's tone away from actuality, adding coloring that portrays the opposing view as hysterical, emotional, or unduly excited. Focus on the implied emotion rather than the subject.

so i exaggerated it a little.

Re-characterize your own statements, softening the edges for apparent reasonability.

just like you are exaggerating the assumption these jokes are an insult.

Accuse the opponent's position of making arbitrary assertions. In this case, the prior question of any of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims not being offended was not accepted as a valid measure of the insult intended. Not sure how depictions of incest are viewed in Italy, but in the U.S., "motherfucker" is a decidedly pointed insult when aimed at anyone other than a friend. "Grannyfucker" doesn't even exist as a term.

and some people do use the illogical points you made as a pretext to censorship. i was cutting it off before it got there.

Argue against a point not made by your opponent. Throw in a noble protective motive to justify said redirection against the alleged but never-materialized censorship attempt.

and you're not making any sense at all with your mumbling

Mock your opponent, making generalized and/or personal references about the delivery of arguments rather than the arguments presented. Here, the statements about colonialism were "mumbled" supposedly, but they appear to be clearly stated in the words posted, so where is the mumbling?

sure, there are some concerns about ethnic minorities in Europe. so what? what has that got to do with having a sense of humor?

Concede the point but deny its importance. It's perfectly fine to create a hostile atmosphere to Muslims via a form of hate-speech, because it doesn't mean anything. It is clad in the cloak of invincibility known as satire. "Rape is just a fun way of showing how backward those stupid Arabs are. They're so stupid, they don't even realize they're raping the wrong women! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

what has colonialism to do with it?

Reject obvious facts not in your favor. Slavery in America is undoubtedly the precursor to black/white friction that still erupts, but no way could several centuries of colonialism by Europe be affecting attitudes today about nationals from countries formerly dominated by colonial exploitation. Obviously a specious syllogism there.

maybe your own personal experience plays into it. i don't know, but obviously you're not capable seeing this objectively at all.

Accuse your opponent of being irrational and suggest a limited intellect. "Excuse" the opponent and conveniently his argument because the debate is invalid anyway. What's the need of arguing against the mentally incapable. How noble.

[Hardheaded1]

If I were a muslim I'd laugh it off. It paints a funny picture of how we non-muslims imagine a muslim household looks like (as in them wearing the burka's at home) and not that offensive.

No, and minstrel shows used to be the bomb here. Oh my, did we ever laugh. Dem colored folks was sho nuff funny.

No, you're right. It wasn't that offensive. Blacks really weren't in a position to judge how funny. I'm sure Muslims would be the last to be able to be objective about this sort of cartoon today. It's great that you could approve for them by proxy.

[Hardheaded1]

Really? I lampoon nuns in habits ALL THE TIME! Of course, I tend to lampoon anyone who subverts their lives and happiness to ANY imaginary friend....wether you call your imaginary friend Jesus, Allah, Mohammad, or Fred is really irrelevant to the hilarity of stupidity imo...
~Beaux

Good point.

I've often thought of lampooning the benighted people who are addicted to alcohol, prescription drugs, heroine, abusive relationships, and eating disorders. They've all subverted their lives to known dead-ends that are ruinous and wasteful. Of course, I'd simultaneously be abandoning the tenet of compassion taught by all those stupid religions, but if I tried, I might be able to see the hilarity of people overdosing, etc.

Making fun of weaknesses usually works. And it doesn't get that nasty feedback that bullying always attracts.

[meridannight]

well, sure you can dissect it like that. uncanny how i managed all that. thanks. you're giving me more credit than i deserve.

Concede the point but deny its importance. It's perfectly fine to create a hostile atmosphere to Muslims via a form of hate-speech, because it doesn't mean anything. It is clad in the cloak of invincibility known as satire. "Rape is just a fun way of showing how backward those stupid Arabs are. They're so stupid, they don't even realize they're raping the wrong women! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

you're still taking this thing way overboard.

i am stupid to argue when i know a viewpoint can't be changed. you're still reacting way too strongly to this temporary mood of mine to argue with you. which i still interpret as a result of some personal injury in this same category we're talking about.

[Hardheaded1]

you're still taking this thing way overboard.

Meaning I rebut your points.

i am stupid to argue when i know a viewpoint can't be changed.

Yet, you do. Hence I continue to rebut. As to the conjectural psychoanalysis, I'm not so inclined. I could create baseless conjecture about your position, but the debate is on the topic. I'm arguing the points, period.

[meridannight]

Meaning I rebut your points.

Yet, you do. Hence I continue to rebut. As to the conjectural psychoanalysis, I'm not so inclined. I could create baseless conjecture about your position, but the debate is on the topic. I'm arguing the points, period.

you haven't rebutted a single thing, other than found an obvious way out of them. just because there is an alternative interpretation to things doesn't make it true.

you still haven't proven that joking like this is offensive. rebuttal requires the process of proving something is wrong. you've only stated your personal viewpoint. which we all got. multiple times. with stress and everything.