First, let me say that I am appalled at what happened in Paris last Wednesday. Second, let me say that I am not surprised. Greater atrocities have been happening across the Mid East and Africa for much longer, but for some reason those events fly under most of the Media's radar. ISIS and Boko Haram have created far more carnage than anything that happened in Paris or with Charlie Hebdo.
ISIS has been going door to door in Syria and other areas of its extended control and systematically killing, raping, crucifying and torturing anyone who is Christian. Labeling their doors with the Arabic letter "Nun" which is the first letter of Nasrani--ie, Nazarene, as in a follower of Jesus the Nazarene. In Nigeria Boko Haran has been conducting a campaign of terror and horror against anyone in the country who is Christian--especially anyone who is Christian. The kidnapping of a couple hundred of school girls made a brief splash across the media last year (with its #hashtag campaign) before its significance faded from Western thought.
ISIS: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/24/this-is-not-a-one-eyed-smiley-face-its-a-symbol-of-frightening-things-happening-to-middle-east-christians/
Boko Haran: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/nigeria-other-terror-attack-why-no-one-talking-about-boko-haram
Our society cannot hold a collective thought long enough to act on it unless the pervasive media tells us that we need to act on it. In fact, most of what passes for breaking news might be more of a ploy to divert our attention from the previous atrocity that horrified us.
Thus our cause célèbre of the moment is Charlie Hebdo. Tragic as it is, I cannot say that "I am Charlie." I do sorrow with the loss of life. I do deplore the despicable carnage that the Muslim terrorist inflicted. I do shudder at the loss of free speech. But I can't help but wonder at the blatant hypocrisy within the media itself.
First, surviving staff of Charlie Hebdo scoff and disdain the new-found friends:
First: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/13/charlie-hebdo-cartoonist-we-vomit-on-those-who-sud/ "Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Bernard Holtrop says surviving employees of the Paris-based magazine “vomit” on those who suddenly support them in the wake of last week’s terror attack that wiped out a third of its staff. We vomit on all these people who suddenly say they are our friends,” he told the Dutch daily de Volkskrant in an interview published Saturday.
Not exactly a warm way of welcoming support.
Second: where were all these supporter of "free speech" when Brendan Eich was ousted from Mozilla because he contributed a few bucks to a campaign to keep marriage defined as "one man, one wife"? I personally think that anyone who applauded that ouster should be barred from holding a "Je Suis Charlie" sign. Period. End of subject.
Third, there is no real "free speech" allowed in the media.
MSNBC immediately blurred and obfuscated the cover of the new Charlie Hebdo magazine. Afraid of angering Islamists worldwide. See: http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/13/msnbc-blurs-charlie-hebdo-cover-during-interview-with-magazine-contributor-video/
The NY Times refuses to print any of the "offending cartoons" http://liberallogic101.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/B7MmThZIIAEbEW8-500x667.jpg
CNN says that it refuses to show news that is offensive to religions, yet was very glad and foreright to show a disgustingly offensive "art" piece called piss christ. http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/01/07/cnn-policy-charlie-hebdo-muhammad-cartoons-forbidden-piss-christ-okay/
As one twitter user said, "CNN’s long, ugly history of anti-Christian bigotry is well-documented."
Thus, I cannot say that I am Charlie Hebdo. I grieve with the loss of life and the loss of innocence and the loss of freedom, but I am not Charlie Hebdo. Bernard Holtrop, a surviving employee, cast vitriolic dispersion on all who would so associate themselves.
Nor can I align myself with Charlie Hebdo because of the gross hypocrisy in applying the badge of "Free Speech"--Free Speech is "free speech" or it isn't. There are not some brands that are okay and some that are not unless you have set up a judging station. And then, I ask, by what standards judge ye?
But mostly, I cannot say that I am Charlie Hebdo because my brothers and my sisters are in peril and at the point of sword and death throughout the Middle East and Africa--yet the Western World is strangely silent. Ominously silent. Pathetically silent. Cowardly silent and beaten into a quiet submission by another agenda that raises its head against all that would speak against it.
But, I'm not cowering in fright of that. I am Nun. Je Suis Nasrani. I am Christian. And these are my brothers and sisters.
Will you be silent too?
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