RoR: Forum

“We're challenging the assumption that there's a right not to be offended,” he said. “You can't do that with gumdrop smiles and rainbows. I believe we have the right to criticize religion, and that extends to all religions.”

Well done, Andrew!

Post 1

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 6:52am

Atta boy, Andrew!

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 7:13am

Look at who wrote the article!

Bill

Post 3

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 10:19am

I decided to change the unwieldy headline, "Secular, Pro-individualist Group Holds Solidarity Event for Magazine Sued over Publishing Muhammad Cartoons" to "Andrew Bissell Vs. Muhammad."

Bill, I hadn't noticed who wrote the article. Thanks for pointing that out.

Kudos to Andrew and Jamie.

(Edited by Bob Palin on 4/15, 10:21am)

Post 4

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:07am

From the article:

Close to home, Calgary's Western Standard has been sued by a Muslim imam over the cartoons' publication. On Friday, the Objectivist Club accepted donations for the magazine's legal defense fund, and sold pieces of cake decorated as the flag of Denmark.

Since this is a lawsuit and not a threat of bombs, what exactly is the basis for the lawsuit? Does it arise from some specific civil rights law or just the common law? I see a wider problem here in any case: The ability to sue anyone for any reason whatsoever based solely on "feelings of offense."

Post 5

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:25am

Luke -

I see this being thrown straight out of court. If it isn't I think I might just cry.

Andy

Post 6

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 12:16pm

The way the legal system is these days - better have the Kleenex handy....

Post 7

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 8:28pm

Kudos to Andrew and Jamie. How about some little tanks for activism to these two?

In the RoR Illinois Forum I have just posted the details of the ARI Danish Cartoons panel discussion at the University of Chicago on April 25.

Kat

Post 8

Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 3:13pm

Luke,

The Imam is suing because his civil rights have been violated by the publishing of the cartoons. The exact parameters of the case I'm not aware of.

Andrew, myself, and another group member, Emma, were only able to raise fifty bucks. So, if anyone is interested you can go to the Western Standard website and there is a link to the "Western Standard Legal Defense Fund."

Post 9

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 11:11am

Mitchell -

How much do you believe it'll cost you to defend against this frankly absurd civil-"rights" breach? I'm extraordinarily strapped for cash at the moment but if things are desperate I'll give.

Andy.

Post 10

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 3:01pm

To be honest, this is not MY "activism." It's Andrew's. The fact that I was the reporter for this story (which actually kind of flew in the face of journalistic standards; I'm too close to the subject) shouldn't detract from Andrew's little act of heroism.
Now, of course, I completely agree with everything Andrew did, and TRIED not to roll my eyes when I got the sniveling, middle-of-the-road response from the hippie liberal arts appeaser I quoted. :-)
As a journalist, I saw this as a newsworthy event, particularly because Andrew did it on a very liberal campus. Even muttering the name "Ayn Rand" at the University of Montana causes rumbles in the hallowed, left-slanting hallways of this Berkeley of the Rockies.
Congrats, Andrew.

Post 11

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 3:56pm

Andrew,

I myself am strapped for cash so I only gave eight dollars and my time. Others simply stuck in a dollar. So, it is really whatever you feel like you can give.
To quote Che (in an ironic sense), "Hasta la victoria es siempre" every little thing helps.

Post 12

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 4:34pm

Bravo, Andrew. Well done!

Post 13

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 6:14pm