Free speech vs. respect

If you're anyone who reads newspapers lately, you'd have known about the furor over Prophet Muhammed cartoons in Europe. Today a French weekly reprinted the cartoons, and not only that, even printed a new one on the cover. To quote the paper's editor, Philippe Val, "When extremists extract concessions from democracies on points of principle, either by blackmail or terror, democracies do not have long left". My opinion? What a bucket of bullshit.

Of course I support the freedom of expression, of course I feel that everyone has the right to have their voice heard, but at the same time, I feel strongly that we should have the basic respect for each other as human beings. If you know that it's a taboo to portray Prophet Muhammed, why on earth would you want to purposely print it (and again and again)? To uphold democracy? To defend free speech? You don't have to prove that you're an uncivilized a-hole to support free speech! Just because you respect Muslims enough to not print cartoons about Prophet Muhammed doesn't mean you don't have the right to talk about same-sex marriages or abortion, or any of those other contraversial topics. It's just simple, basic respect for fellow residents on earth.

This. Is. Just. Plain. Sad.