showing solidarity with my european brothers

ok, so that was a little tongue in cheek, because there is so much about the way europe sees the world i simply don't understand. but one thing i do understand is the freedom of expression. if you've been following the blogosphere the last couple of days you would have read of the firestorm over a couple of editorial cartoons published in a dutch paper. papers across europe are posting them in retaliation to the muslim demands to punish the paper. the BBC has an article here that talks about it, and here's one from reuters. one of the most comprehensive posts on the issue can be found here at winds of change. oh, and to be fair, here's one from the other side of the controversy. i say, get over it.
one of the cartoons, which i haven't gone looking for yet shows mohammad stating "that paradise was running short of virgins for suicide bombers."
funny.
so, for my european cousins in the middle of it, here is my support
Here is an entire gallery of Moe's images, most of them from historical texts and sources.

see, here in the united states, we allow just about any whackjob with a soapbox the freedom to stand up and say what's on his mind. that is a right granted by our constitution, along with freedom of (or in my case FROM) religion. and to protect that right, we have another freedom codified by the second amendment. so if you want to engage in anything other than verbal dialog, i suggest you check out MY ability to enact the 2nd amendment. want to collect your 72 virgins exercising a fatwah? please check the following posts: here , here, or perhaps here. we take our freedoms seriously around here, and are ready to defend them. i'm certainly not unique in this regard. my neighbors are all as crazy as i am. and if you want to see what many other americans feel about protecting their rights, check out any of the weekly carnival of cordite entries at resistance is futile.

fortunately, we have a group of youngsters not only ready and willing, but able to help us defend those freedoms. you know them:

and just in case you think i only take swipes at the muslims involved in this little imbroglio, that's just not true. i have issues with any closed minded group, as perhaps you may have deduced from this post.

sheesh. aren't there more important things in this world to get your knickers knotted up over? cartoons. give me a break.