As we all know due to some idiots movie trailer that makes fun of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and portray him in some pretty disgusting ways there were protests and attacks at a few US diplomatic buildings in the middle east and north Africa. Due to these attacks and some spotty response from a few leaders it lead President Obama to state on Telemundo that he "Does not see Egypt as an Ally or an Enemy." While I have heard there has been some walk back on that Bobby Ghosh seemed to be extremely shocked that the POTUS would not see the people of Egypt as a friend anymore due to this incident and a lack luster response from Egypt's current President Morsi.
Here is my take on it, Mr. Ghosh in looking at all the film that was shown of the Protest in Egypt, I didn't see Morsi climbing those walls, I saw the EGYPTIAN PEOPLE. I saw them attacking our Embassy in Cairo, burning OUR FLAG and celebrating a victory over the ignorance of a few people at the cost of the safety of those in our diplomatic core. Now far be it for me to tell you the PROPER way to protest, but don't act like seeing a people come at you in a violent fashion shouldn't cause you to rethink your relationship with them. Yes I heard you speak about how the last more dictatorial regime would have resorted to beatings before the protests even got that bad so some of this may have been the Egyptian people enjoying the freedom to express themselves in a way they are not yet used to. The problem is just like you can condemn the acts of the idiot who organized the trailer(especially if some of the actor interviews are to be believed that the audio was dubbed over and the movie they made had nothing to do with Mohammad at all), he and we all can look at Egypt and say you attacked us we aren't going to be as chummy with you until you explain what the hell you were thinking and why.
The people of Egypt are enjoying freedom of speech, they are about to learn the same lesson that many of us in America know, and the rest force us to teach to them the hard way. It is OKAY to speak what is on your mind, hell it is even okay to protest but if in your protesting you cause damage, incite violence, or commit crimes YOU MUST PAY FOR THEM. The Egyptian People attacked that Embassy, they breached our walls, tore down our flag and decided "America will pay for what a few members of her country have done," okay well let us retort "YOU SCREWED UP." While we in our country value free speech above all else we also respect religion, if you would have WAITED for our official response, or hell even set up PODIUMS outside of the embassy to air your grievances about the trailer(who knows if douche bag re-dubbed the whole movie if it WAS re-dubbed) you would have allowed us ALL to disavow and join you in the protest of the work as well as demand an apology with you. I would be a liar if I said that there were not ignorant people in America who are easily swayed by fear, deceit, anger and hate.
I have lived 37 long years in this country and what people will believe even in the face of facts or the lack of a credible accounting of the person speaking(in other words the person saying it may not have facts, but what they are saying may also not make sense) no longer amazes me. I realize for some it is about what makes them feel better about their situation, world view, lack of success or personal prejudices. Overcoming those takes time and a lot of effort, and for many they have neither the drive nor the interest to even attempt it. I know I hear people go off about Islam's bloody history all the time MOST religions have bloody histories. It may seem harsher since we see many of the things happening "In the CURRENT TIME" and unlike the Dark Ages for most of the Christian world we see it with modern technology with a much faster delivery of information but it's not like witch burnings, beheadings, drownings, marking, hangings, blindings ... you know what I don't want to get into the many punishments for blasphemy as well as remind people of what you get when you look in a history book.
I agree with the President on this one, the Egypt of today is not the partner we have had over the last 30 some odd years. They have to decide which way they lean are they still moderate, are they more fundamental in their beliefs or in the future are they going to engage in violent acts as are called for by some of their extremists. Understand we have our own extremists in America and yes they find their avenues to express themselves, the thing is for the most part the majority of Americans denounce them and the ignorance of their ways. Yes some people exploit them to make money, some people agree with them, some people just pull their chain it is part of the burden of freedom of Speech. Hell look at the box office right now "2016:Obama's America" do you really think ALL of us agree with the stupidity and fear that is the inspiration for this movie? Hell no, but this is how these people feel, they had enough money to make the motion picture, they got box offices to release it and if folks want to spend their hard earned money to watch it so be it.
Free speech is not always fun, you have to take the good with the bad. Now there are some things we do not tolerate(example screaming fire in a crowded theater and thus inciting panic), we don't like public threats of violence(most times there are a few that we may turn a blind eye to), it is taking us a while but we do not like hate speech/abuse speech. Yes I said it is taking us a while, we may call America a she but at times we do have an excess of Machismo/testosterone we are always telling people to "man/cowboy/grow" up, we want them to be tougher ignoring that we ourselves are ever weak or not up to the challenge. In this situation the trailer(which I refuse to look up, yes under normal circumstances I say find out for yourself but since the main perpetrators admit that "yes they defamed Islam" no need) was that bit of free speech that we find abhorrent and objectionable, problem is that BEFORE we could denounce it (hell it was so under the radar that until the protest most of us had never heard of it and didn't care to) you took it as the official position of the United States of America. A few idiots and now the whole country should be ashamed, well guess what Egypt right back at you a few THOUSAND people appeared to be violently protesting at the US Embassy, tore down our flag, lit it on fire, and dance on SOVEREIGN US Soil in the wake of you finally finding out about this trailer.
If we must be responsible for the acts of a few people, I would have said hundred but again some of the actors and studio personnel involved claim that the words spoken in the trailer as well as the name and subject of the film are not the same as what they were given, you too must be responsible for the acts of all those people who stormed our embassy. You must respect the message that that sends to us, even as you have people saying how "You are a friend to America" come let me set your car on fire and see if you still see me as such a good friend. Let me kick your window in and stand on your roof and shout at you just because your distant cousin might have said a "Your Mama" joke.
What was done is not acceptable, the thing is neither was the response of the Egyptian people nor a lot of other Muslim countries. You don't like the movie, I and a lot of my fellow Americans don't like the movie but what good does it do to start a fight with all of us just for a few idiots?
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