If there ever is another terror attack in this country, please let it be at ACLU headquarters..

Is there any way to write to the Marine Corps and ask that if a Marine did do this song, he not be punished?

The singing Marine said the song "was intended as a joke" and the audience (wherever that was) was clearly amused .....The BBC certainly should have tried to be clearer about who was doing the the killing in the song (some of it inaudible), but I would have thought the (terrorist) killing of innocent Iraqi women and children is no laughing matter, any more than 9/11 terrorist attacks were in America.

Here's a clue:

People laughing at the death of children, no matter the cause, is going to offend people.

The guy who sang/wrote the song is perfectly within his rights.

The guy who released the video onto the Internet without the singer/writer's permission is a bonehead.

Those who knee-jerk react to it are boneheads.

It sounds like Marines aren't allowed to joke around anymore. Yes. They may be rude and crude at times and joke about inappropriate matters but if they don't they can go crazy with keeping all that stuff bottle up. Sometimes the best way to deal with awful conditions and events is to learn to laugh at it. If someone has never experience those conditions, they may not understand. Even those that have may not but knows that it does work.

Joke? Such things are not even fitting for the sickest of animals. Every time such things are there they creat problems. Let us not indulge in such evil things my dear friends for the good of the entire humanity.

We are enduring a way to sensitive time these days where way to many people are offended by what others are doing/saying. this is a prime example. blown way out of proportion to have something to complain about over and over again..dont let them do you like that.MU

Because if we offend the Muslims they're going to blow someone up. Us, maybe, or if they can't get us then they'll just blow up some other Muslims.

MU, when you start being as upset at stuff that goes the other direction then... well, what's the point anyhow? Insults coming from the other direction aimed at Americans just don't have the same offensive power because it's just Arab hyperbole and no one takes it seriously even when they should.

The president of Iran spews hatred and we just shrug because that's just what he does. Some insignificant GI sings a naughty song and suddenly entire humanity is threatened.

Perspective, MU. Get some.

I can't even decide how I feel about this.

On one hand, this song was obviously not as serious as it's being made out to be by CAIR and subsequently, by the media. Also something to note is the lyrics, if you listen carefully (which is hard in the recording) the song is not about the marine killing innocent civilians.

On the other hand, I can see it as maybe disturbing to some to see a marine singing this song, joke or not. Something that rightfully or wrongfully lessens my sympathy for those offended is the reaction we got for some offensive cartoons.

I disagree with Ed Driscoll about the quality of the song and performance. Sure, it wasn't up to professional standards but then it wasn't recorded in a studio and remixed either.

Heralder, as various people have mentioned here and there... Napalm sticks to kids... mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school... hm... my roomie at Bible college (a very sweet and archtypically feminine girl) would sing a song about a little birdie that involved dismemberment of the bird.

I don't think that anyone is saying that the song isn't naughty, just that taking naughty songs seriously is a rather silly thing to do.

Muslim Unity

Are you suggesting outlawing all jokes or humor that are insensitive or offends? That would be eliminating them all. I thought American strength lies in its humor and we shouldn't change our lifestyle or else the terrorists win. Or is it just the jokes that you don't like that should be outlaw?

There are many jokes that I don't like and I bet you that most people out there have told some rude and crude jokes that if caught on tape would be embarrassing. However, people should be allowed to be people sometime or else society will go insane and explode.

Are you suggesting outlawing all jokes or humor that are insensitive or offends? That would be eliminating them all./i>

Hmmm. Maybe it would be simpler to outlaw threatening or harming people for what they say or believe.

Oh, wait, we did that already. And now that I think about it, we don't see much of that kind of thing happening in the U.S., do we?

Cool.

So, in light of the cartoon jihad, will you issue a fatwah against the accoustic guitar? To make sure it is never used to criticise the actions of muslims again?

McGehee

What is your connection between your second sentences to the first?
What exactly doesn't happen much in the U.S. the threatening of people who speech someone doesn't like or the use of offensive humor?

Wayne,
I think he means the execution (pardon the double meaning) of the threats don't happen often, and compared to some cultures, the threats only come from the fringe.
When was the last time a major political or religious figure in the US threatened violence and didn't pay a price for it?

Perhaps I'm misreading his statement or thinking along another line of thought because I don't see what outlawing threats for freedom of speech has to do with outlawing freedom of speech.

I'm all for condemning a tasteless humor but some want to treat it like a crime. To restate my one point and being former military, sometime the best way to make it though miserable conditions is to make tasteless jokes about it.

I don't know why you mention the ACLU--they have absolutely nothing to do with this. In fact, if anyone is likely to protect the marine's freedom of speech, it's the ACLU.

In a way they have issued a fatwa against the acoustic guitar--the performances at open mike at the coffee house have been shut down.

These are decent guys and good marines, many of them on their third rotation to iraq, uncomplaining and risking their lives because George W. had a wild hair (or maybe jeff gannon) up his butt. They signed up to defend America and sending them to iraq was at best wrong, and at worst criminal. It is certainly a violation of the social contract a nation has with its military. They sign up to risk their lives to defend America, and find themselves risking their lives to prop up some unpopular, unelected regime in the third world. (Before you protest that elections were held, bear in mind that the current PM of Iraq was appointed because George W objected to the elected one.)