So Iran's been saying they are promoting a contest for cartoons that test the boundaries of our beloved Western free speech. Now, despite my feelings of offense both at the Danish cartoons that, months ago, depicted a beloved religious founder as a terrorist, and the reports of these new cartoons making Israel and the U.S. out to be Nazis, I don't condemn their freedom of speech. It doesn't seem like such a far cry from reason to suggest that both may be fairly justifiable arguments, completely within the bounds of free speech. Seems like so far the irony is even the same. And both have a certain basis in true things, from perspectives that have been silenced too long. But whatever the courage the Iranians tout by their plan to retaliate, the key word here is retaliate. There's nothing useful or intelligent or courageous in the Iranians' contest for the best anti-Israel cartoon. And there very likely wasn't anything of the noble sort to be found in those Danish Mohammad cartoons, either.

The pertinent question is not which one is more offensive, or whether they have a right to free speech, etc. It's fine to bust taboos wide open. It's fine to test free speech. Legally, there's no complaint: from an American/Western standpoint, the freedom of speech they demonstrate is unimpeachable. But what about the evil of propaganda? Don't we as a Western community claim to be striving toward an acceptance and respect for all cultures, and the shunning of things that lead to genocide and hate? What we learned from the Nazis, if anything, is---free speech or not---there are such things as vicious and unjust attacks by the press that wholly defeat their purpose of providing accurate and productive social/political criticism, and instead promote racist propaganda, hate crimes, and war. Not that our own (American) forefathers weren't up to something similar when they were tarring and feathering innocent British government workers, or falsely accusing Spain of sinking U.S. ships. But surely we've learned something from the past...

Are these cartoons crossing a line of political and journalistic decency? That, to me, is the pertinent question. No, it can't (and shouldn't) be punished by law. It can't (and shouldn't) be fought for in a war. But it should be morally repudiated by the voices of reason on both sides of this conflict. The glorification of the Danish cartoons by American journalists back then appeared to me a travesty, no matter what they trumpeted about bravery in the face of terrorist threats, etc. Our journalists need to get off their high horses and admit that this is where journalism ought to draw the line. I'll give my own opinion: the use of cartoons should be primarily used as a political or humor forum, an outlet for expressing in satire any sense of absurdity or disapproval with a government, celebrity, conflict, etc... It is clear that both the Danish and Iranian contests are very probably crossing a line with hate and a desire to cause trouble. It's not a crime, no. But it is a deplorable waste of press.

To anyone who argues that these cartoons are not racist or propaganda in nature, take a look at the deeper questions they pose. Apart from asking very relevant and critical questions about the tendencies toward intolerance in the Muslim religion, or the tendencies toward ignorance among Israelis of their abuses to the Palestinian and Lebanese populations, the cartoons are, nonetheless, unfortunately driven by a very different kind of question: How can we paint this culture/people in the most harmful, degrading light possible? Which, needless to say, is not the goal of any kind of self-respecting or globally serving journalism. Both contests are by nature offensive and unnecessary, in that they attempt to put out hate-driven and scapegoating propaganda against an entire culture. But we in America, who have yet some power to put a cork on all this nonsense, cry: "Free speech! Free speech!??? and completely forget that this is not the way to promote democracy in the greater global community.

That's right. It doesn't help to open a forum for critique, and it doesn't advocate change. It's purely an attempt to cause trouble, and it succeeds gloriously---that's all there is to it. It's unfortunate that everybody has to behave like such children about it (recall the way certain Muslims went ballistic with their attacks on innocent Danes in the embassies). It's time for somebody to step up and be a "bigger person.??? And that somebody ought to be us, for our own dignity's sake. American journalists ought to step up now and say, "All right, that's enough already! Let's not forget the integrity of discourse that this 'freedom of speech' was intended to protect!???

I can't stress it enough: these cartoons constitute unethical and irresponsible journalism. Jabs at the core values and taboos of a culture are not valid political critiques and I don't think they have a place in any honest effort to test or promote the ideals "espoused by Western countries.??? It's high time America, who has already long relished the role of Global Referee, called a TIME-OUT and an end to the madness.