The Garland Texas Skirmish

If you don't already know about the little Long War skirmish that took place Sunday in Garland, TX ... then catch up.

You are part of the problem and not part of the solution if you have no desire to defend the fruits of The Enlightenment. Even speech that you find distasteful must be defended. 

Even if you do not like the person speaking, you should be the first person to defend them.

A free people have the right to display their lack of good taste, brilliance, poor manners, exquisite breeding, stupid ideas, and wonderful insight - notice there is no "should" in there.

This is natural law. People have the right to offend; people do not have the right not to be offended. 

Inoffensive speech does not need to be defended - that is not what free speech is about. Unpopular and offensive speech is what needs defending; what must be defended.

When someone is under attack for speaking unpopular opinions to the point they are physically, professionally, or otherwise threatened to silence, everyone should come to their defense.

It all started so innocent enough;

The inaugural Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest hosted by Pamela Geller’s American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) is sold out and ready for Sunday evening’s festivities. The event is billed as an expression of free speech said to be under attack from radical Islamic groups like those who attacked Charlie Hebdo in January. The exhibit will be held on Sunday, May 3, at the Curtis Culwell Center, 5-7 p.m., in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas.

“At a time when American Muslim groups in the US should have stood up for free speech and showed the world the way forward, they chose to stand with the Hebdo jihadists,” said Geller in an January email to Breitbart Texas.

Breitbart Texas previously reported that Democratic U.S. Representatives Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)and André Carson (D-IN) have tried to block Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders from entering the United States and appearing at the inaugural event. They co-authored a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, asking them to block Wilders’ entry.

And in a fashion, Garland represents a good example about how to do it right - let ideas compete in the marketplace - in a fair and peaceful manner;

Pamela Geller is planning a “Draw the Prophet” event in Garland, Texas in the same location as a Muslim group held a “Stand with the Prophet” conference in January. The First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest will be hosted by the Curtis Caldwell Center, which is owned and operated by the Garland Independent School District.

As usual though, when someone is insecure or knows their ideas are inferior and cannot survive a fair airing - they seek peace through removal of the other side.

As usual in such events - GatewayPundit has the goods.

The cornerstones of the media in our nation?

Free speech aside, why would anyone do something as provocative as hosting a "Muhammad drawing contest"?

— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) May 4, 2015

Who is Rukmini?

Foreign correspondent for The New York Times, focusing on Islamic extremism. Previously, seven years in West Africa as bureau chief for The Associated Press

That is the problem we face.

From the hothouse flowers in out universities who need a safe place and a hug if they are exposed to any contrary thought, to two guys attacking an event in Texas - we need to redouble our efforts to push back. We don't need cowards like The Daily Mail, who are more than happy to write about the attack - and then give in like a dhimmi by blacking out the pictures in the background.

Everyone should publish one of these cartoons. They cannot kill us all. As we saw yesterday - the odds are in our favor anyway. If you are going to start a gunfight in Texas, you had better bring your A-game.

Just like Hasan's attack at Ft. Hood - this is part of the long war. Even cartoons.

Especially cartoons.

This will happen again.

Immediately below is the entire event (Geert Wilders comes on at the 0:29-minute point) - and below that are all the cartoons. These at things that, in a large part of the world, people are willing to kill and die for. They are willing to kill for a cartoon. What are you willing to do to defend a fundamental freedom. 

You can see the moment they had shots fired at the 1:19 point.