2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Dominus Atheos
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2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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http://abcnews.go.com/US/gunmen-killed- ... d=30777312
Two people were fatally shot Sunday outside a Garland, Texas, community center that was hosting an event displaying cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, local officials said.

Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said that two men drove up to the community center and "opened fire on the security officers" hired to protect the event before being shot themselves.

Neither of the suspects have been identified because their bodies remain on the street where they were shot as police teams are using robots to see if the car they pulled up in was rigged with explosives. Harn said that the bodies will be cleared once the vehicle is checked for potential explosives. Precautionary detonations could be heard overnight, as police continued to assess the crime scene.

One unarmed security guard from the local school district, which owns the community center where the event was held, was shot in the ankle but his injuries are said to be non-life threatening, according to Harn. Other Garland police officers who were on the scene were the ones who fatally shot the two suspects.

The controversial event, where attendees competed to draw the prophet Mohammed, which is explicitly banned in Islam and seen as a sign of grave disrespect, was hosted by a conservative anti-Islam group called the American Freedom Defense Initiative.

Harn said that police have been monitoring the lead-up to the event "for several months" and while he said there was no immediate credible threat before the shooting, organizers "luckily" decided to hire extra security because of the controversy.

The shooting lasted "seconds," Harn said, and took place shortly before 7:00 p.m., not long before the event was set to end. Approximately 200 people attended the event, police say. The center was put on lockdown immediately after the shooting.

Harn said that both suspects had guns though police do not know what specific type because they have not secured the guns as they wait for the search for explosives in the car to be completed first.

Two senior law enforcement officials told ABC News that authorities will work vigorously over the next 12 hours to determine who the dead suspects are and whether the incident is directly tied to the conference. The FBI is already on the scene and have said that they have provided investigative and bomb technician assistance.

Texas governor Greg Abbott released a statement following the shooting, saying that there is an active investigation underway "to determine the cause and scope of the senseless attack in Garland, Texas."

"This is a crime that was quickly ended thanks to the swift action by Garland law enforcement," he said in the statement.

Businesses around the center, including Academy Sports, Walmart and Sam's, were evacuated, the city said. Harn said that no nearby residents were evacuated from their homes.

The event, sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, featured scheduled speakers including Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who has campaigned to have the Quran banned in the Netherlands. The winner of the contest was to receive $10,000.
Seems like a good time to link to this article. (Warning: ridiculously NSFW)
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by cosmicalstorm »

Exactly what the organizers were hoping for I'm sure.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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I seriously wonder what some people would do if there ever really was world peace. It's like, these conservative idiots just want to hate somebody/something/some-group. They can't get enough of it. It's not like Islamic law or censorship is even remotely a fucking problem in Garland fucking Texas. These people literally have nothing else to live for except getting riled up about some "other" tribe they don't like.

I seriously think if the entire Middle East suddenly converted to Southern Baptist Christianity tomorrow and then replaced every Mosque with a McDonalds, and every Koran with a portrait of Ronald Reagan, these people would literally implode into a cloud of meaninglessness and lost identity.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Channel72 wrote:It's not like Islamic law or censorship is even remotely a fucking problem in Garland fucking Texas.
If somebody tries to murder you for idolatry, you have a fucking problem.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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I'm sure the perpetrators heard about the event and drove there from some distance*. We'll see as more details unfold.

Anyway the point is these idiots don't care deeply about free speech or freedom of expression. They just wanted to host a feel-good hate session. If they really care about the oppression people suffer under Islamic law, there are many ways to lend support or help improve that situation which are much less stupid than this crap. I bet there was also free barbecue and beer.

Edit: *Although, looking at the demographics, I might be totally wrong. I thought the perpetrators probably drove from Dallas or something.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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One of the Dead Shooters in Texas Has Been Identified—Here's What We Know About Him
Unfortunately, the shootings played right into rabid anti-Islamist Pamela Geller's hands.
By Terrell Jermaine Starr / AlterNet May 4, 2015

Image
Photo Credit: via YouTube/ABCNews

One of the two gunmen killed after opening fire at an event Sunday night in Garland, Tex., where cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were featured has been identified as Elton Simpson of Phoenix, The New York Times reports.

Officials are not sure what the motive was behind the attack was. What is known about Elton so far is that federal prosecutors charged him with traveling to Somalia “for the purpose of engaging in violent jihad” and lying to a federal agent. He was found guilty of lying to a federal agent but a judge ruled that the government couldn’t prove he was going to engage in terrorist acts. Simpson was sentenced to three years probation and reportedly placed on the 'no-fly' list.

The event, organized by the =http://freedomdefense.typepad.com/Amer ... Initiative, an anti-Islamic group started by rabid anti-Muslim Pamela Geller, started at 7 p.m. Sunday night. The organization also uses the name Stop Islamization of America and is based in New York. The event included a contest that awarded $10,000 for the best caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. Simpson and another man opened fire on a security guard, Bruce Joiner, soon after the event started, hitting the man in the ankle. Garland police returned fire, killing Simpson and the other suspect. Joiner was taken to the hospital and released.

Law enforcement officials searched the scene for bombs but did not find any, =http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/04/us/garla ... ing to CNN.

Both Simpson’s body, as well as that of the other unidentified shooting suspect, were still lying where they fell Sunday night welll into Monday.

A sampling of Geller's view on Muslims was when she told the =http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/nyre ... York Times, in 2010, that she doesn’t “believe in the idea of a moderate Muslim. I do not believe in the idea of a moderate Islam” and that a “moderate Muslim is a secular Muslim.”

Local police say they aren’t sure if the shooting was connected to the cartoons, but Geller said it was.

“The Islamic jihadis are determined to suppress our freedom of speech violently,” she told The Post.

Officially, no one knows anything about the motivations behind Simpson's nor the other gunman’s attack, although speculation is flying about the shooters being urged on by ISIS.

Investigators are searching Simpson’s apartment, in Phoenix, Ariz., for clues in connection to the shooting and determining whether his roommate, who has not been identified, was involved in the shooting.

Kristina Sitton, who represented Simpson during his trial in 2010, told ABC News that she saw her former client as "harmless."

"He grew up the most normal guy. Just a normal high school guy... Converting to Islam seemed like a good thing for him,” she said. “He had been going down a bad path and then he found Islam. He never struck me as someone who would do this sort of thing. I'm not a bleeding heart, I'm a Republican. I've seen some pretty bad guys and he seemed pretty normal."
Police Officer Shot 2 Gunmen Dead Before They Could Enter Anti-Islam Event
Image
AP Photo / Brandon Wade
By: CAITLIN MACNEAL | Published: MAY 4, 2015, 12:22 PM EDT
The two gunmen who attacked a Muhammed cartoon contest near Dallas on Sunday used assault rifles to open fire on two officers parked at an entrance to the event venue but were quickly shot dead by a police officer, according to Garland police spokesman Joe Harn.

During a Monday morning press conference on the shooting, Harn (pictured above) added new details that painted a dramatic picture of officers suddenly coming under fire but managing to thwart what police said was an intended attack on the 200 people attending the event inside, which was sponsored by the anti-Islam group American Freedom Defense Initiative. The group, co-founded by Pamela Geller, is listed as an anti-Muslim hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Two officers - a Garland police officer and an unarmed security officer for the local school district - were sitting in a patrol car blocking the entrance to the event. When the suspects arrived in their vehicle, the two officers began to step out of the patrol car, according to Harn.

The gunmen, who were wearing body armor, then opened fire with assault rifles on the two officers. According to Harn, the armed police officer shot and killed both gunmen with his pistol. He was not injured in the shooting. The unarmed security officer, Bruce Joiner, was injured in the ankle and released from the hospital on Sunday. He was the only individual injured by the gunmen in the shooting, according to Harn.

Harn said that the officer who killed the suspects "did what he was trained to do" and "probably saved lives." Harn said that the officer kept the gunmen from entering the Curtis Culwell Center, where the cartoon contest was taking place.

After searching the gunmen's vehicle, authorities found additional ammunition and luggage in the trunk, but did not find explosives.

According to Harn, police and event coordinators were prepared for an attack on the event. The American Freedom Defense Initiative, the group that organized the event, and the Garland police developed a security plan for the event ahead of time.

Harn said that Garland police, as well as a bomb squad, a SWAT team, the FBI and ATF patrolled the event. There were also off-duty cops hired to secure the event. According to Harn, the American Freedom Defense Initiative paid $10,000 for additional security at the event.

He said that police had not been aware of any specific threats against the event, but that they developed a security plan due to the type of event and previous issues the group has had. Authorities had also been aware of online "chatter" about the event from a few months ago. On Mondaym Harn said that the plan developed by police was "successful."

"We were able to stop those men before they were able to penetrate" the perimeter of the event, Harn said.

Harn did not reveal the identities of the suspects and did not have details on a potential motive. He said that authorities are investigating whether the shooting was a terrorist attack, but Harn said that authorities have not yet labeled it such.

"This is not going to be a real fast investigation," Harn said.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Channel72 wrote:I seriously wonder what some people would do if there ever really was world peace. It's like, these conservative idiots just want to hate somebody/something/some-group. They can't get enough of it. It's not like Islamic law or censorship is even remotely a fucking problem in Garland fucking Texas. These people literally have nothing else to live for except getting riled up about some "other" tribe they don't like.

I seriously think if the entire Middle East suddenly converted to Southern Baptist Christianity tomorrow and then replaced every Mosque with a McDonalds, and every Koran with a portrait of Ronald Reagan, these people would literally implode into a cloud of meaninglessness and lost identity.
The idea that you have to be personally affected by a problem to advocate against it or otherwise care about it is stupid. Female genital mutilation has zero effective impact on my life but its a charitable donation of choice for me. Same goes with doctors without borders. Same goes with water projects in Africa. Same goes for voicing outrage and anger towards ISIS which I am sure YOU are guilty of even though ISIS is to you exactly what sharia repressed freedom of speech is to the guys at this event (prior to them being shot at of course). The parochialism of your post is mind boggling. You don't like this event because conservatives did it, and that's all there is to it.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Patroklos wrote:
Channel72 wrote:I seriously wonder what some people would do if there ever really was world peace. It's like, these conservative idiots just want to hate somebody/something/some-group. They can't get enough of it. It's not like Islamic law or censorship is even remotely a fucking problem in Garland fucking Texas. These people literally have nothing else to live for except getting riled up about some "other" tribe they don't like.

I seriously think if the entire Middle East suddenly converted to Southern Baptist Christianity tomorrow and then replaced every Mosque with a McDonalds, and every Koran with a portrait of Ronald Reagan, these people would literally implode into a cloud of meaninglessness and lost identity.
The idea that you have to be personally affected by a problem to advocate for/against it or otherwise care about it is stupid. Female genital mutilation has zero effective impact on my life but its a charitable donation of choice for me. Same goes with doctors without borders. Same goes with water projects in Africa. Same goes for voicing outrage and anger towards ISIS which I am sure YOU are guilty of even though ISIS is to you exactly what sharia repressed freedom of speech is to the guys at this event (prior to them being shot at of course). The parochialism of your post is mind boggling. You don't like this event because conservatives did it, and that's all there is to it.
Speaking only for myself, obviously not for Channel72.
I don't think Channel72 was promoting the idea that you have to be personally affected by a problem to advocate against it. Pointing out that Islamic law or censorship isn't a problem in Garland, TX only serves to illustrate that these people being upset over it weren't motivated by a personal need for change in their daily lives. Rioters in Baltimore claiming inequality (social, economic, justice) is more persuasive to outsiders because it is affecting those complaining about it. People of Garland, TX complaining about Islamic law or censorship is less persuasive.
Additionally, your examples of good causes are exactly that. Good causes. They are causes meant to improve the daily lives of those that have been victimized by others - either directly or indirectly. Who's life is improved by hosting a muhammad cartoon contest?

I'm against any event whose prime directive is to promote distrust, fear, and anger towards another group of people. This event, while totally legal (as it should be - even if I disagree with what a person says, I'll defend their right to say it all day long), was provacative and hypocritical. It was designed specifically to anger the American-Muslim community and mobilize the most radical elements within it. I'm grateful as hell that the wounded officer was released from the hospital so soon and that no one else was hurt. Kudos to the responding officer that brought down the would be murderers. If innocents had died at this event, the organizers of it would have had to share some of the blame for the death of those people.

To make my opinion clear:
The killed gunmen were entirely in the wrong here and the lethal actions of the police were entirely justified.
The gunmen would not have been there if not for this event.
This event knowingly and deliberately stoked the flames of religious intolerance.
The organizers of the event were legally justified in going ahead with holding the event - I'm just not so sure they were morally justified.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Pointing out that Islamic law or censorship isn't a problem in Garland, TX only serves to illustrate that these people being upset over it weren't motivated by a personal need for change in their daily lives.
You don't think two gunmen showing up to kill a bunch of cartoonists is indicative of an Islamic censorship problem?
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Rioters in Baltimore claiming inequality (social, economic, justice) is more persuasive to outsiders because it is affecting those complaining about it. People of Garland, TX complaining about Islamic law or censorship is less persuasive.
How persuasive do you think it is that two people showed up to kill these cartoonists?
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Additionally, your examples of good causes are exactly that. Good causes. They are causes meant to improve the daily lives of those that have been victimized by others - either directly or indirectly. Who's life is improved by hosting a muhammad cartoon contest?
Considering that two people who held the belieft that it is justifiable to kill cartoonists are now dead, it appears that society as a whole has benefited from this cartoon contest.
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:I'm against any event whose prime directive is to promote distrust, fear, and anger towards another group of people. This event, while totally legal (as it should be - even if I disagree with what a person says, I'll defend their right to say it all day long), was provacative and hypocritical.
What do you think contributes more to fear and distrust towards the Muslim community: People drawing cartoons, or Muslims trying to kill the cartoonists?
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by KroLazuxy_87 »

The more I read, the less sympathy the organizers of this cartoon contest are getting from me.

What You Need To Know About The Anti-Muslim Extremists Attacked In Texas
5 Things To Know About The Organizers Of Muhammad Cartoon Contest

The fact that a group from New York - labeled as a hate group, and ran by outspoken islamophobes considered an embarrassment by other islamophobes in Washington, D.C. - hosted an event in a town 1,400 miles away with an American-Muslim population building a new Islamic center should be evidence enough that this was more about starting some shit and less about promoting free-speech.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Patroklos wrote:
Channel72 wrote:I seriously wonder what some people would do if there ever really was world peace. It's like, these conservative idiots just want to hate somebody/something/some-group. They can't get enough of it. It's not like Islamic law or censorship is even remotely a fucking problem in Garland fucking Texas. These people literally have nothing else to live for except getting riled up about some "other" tribe they don't like.

I seriously think if the entire Middle East suddenly converted to Southern Baptist Christianity tomorrow and then replaced every Mosque with a McDonalds, and every Koran with a portrait of Ronald Reagan, these people would literally implode into a cloud of meaninglessness and lost identity.
The idea that you have to be personally affected by a problem to advocate against it or otherwise care about it is stupid. Female genital mutilation has zero effective impact on my life but its a charitable donation of choice for me. Same goes with doctors without borders. Same goes with water projects in Africa. Same goes for voicing outrage and anger towards ISIS which I am sure YOU are guilty of even though ISIS is to you exactly what sharia repressed freedom of speech is to the guys at this event (prior to them being shot at of course). The parochialism of your post is mind boggling. You don't like this event because conservatives did it, and that's all there is to it.
Meh... next time I'll put more effort into trying to hide that I guess.

Anyway, yeah - I don't like the people that organized this event, because I don't believe they are doing anything noble. They are just rallying around something they hate and have turned into a huge boogeyman. I could be wrong, but probably not. They don't really want to protect "free speech" - at best, that's a peripheral justification - they just want to spread hate and fear of Islam, which is a useless and destructive activity.

Speaking of which, fuck Islam. I really don't care for it either. But I have zero interest in being hateful or angry for the sake of being hateful and angry.
Last edited by Channel72 on 2015-05-04 03:32pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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You don't need to sympathize with them to know that murdering people with an assault rifle over a cartoon is never acceptable. I don't care how big of assholes they were, their right to free speech is a right.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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gizmojumpjet wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Pointing out that Islamic law or censorship isn't a problem in Garland, TX only serves to illustrate that these people being upset over it weren't motivated by a personal need for change in their daily lives.
You don't think two gunmen showing up to kill a bunch of cartoonists is indicative of an Islamic censorship problem?
Not in Garland, TX, no. As I posted already, the one shooter we know about is a Phoenix, AZ native.
gizmojumpjet wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Rioters in Baltimore claiming inequality (social, economic, justice) is more persuasive to outsiders because it is affecting those complaining about it. People of Garland, TX complaining about Islamic law or censorship is less persuasive.
How persuasive do you think it is that two people showed up to kill these cartoonists?
You're putting the cart before the horse. This contest wasn't in response to censorship there. The shooting was in response to the disrepect of their religious beliefs.
If a group of Muslims based in NY came to a town in Texas that was building a new church and hosted a contest to see who could best shit into a bible or burn the American flag, someone would have likely shown up to do some killing. (obviously we'll never know, but if your argument is gonna be "that wouldn't happen" then I nothing left to discuss with you) Would you then be crying out about censorship?
gizmojumpjet wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:Additionally, your examples of good causes are exactly that. Good causes. They are causes meant to improve the daily lives of those that have been victimized by others - either directly or indirectly. Who's life is improved by hosting a muhammad cartoon contest?
Considering that two people who held the belief that it is justifiable to kill cartoonists are now dead, it appears that society as a whole has benefited from this cartoon contest.
Only time will truly tell. The fact that two men who planned and equipped themselves to commit mass murder are dead is a wonderful thing. Our society doesn't need those kinds of people. In that belief, I will agree that the response of the police officer that left them dead and saved many others has benefitted society. However, I do not agree that the cartoon contest has been good for society. If your goal is stop religious intolerance and promote greater understanding among different groups of people, I don't see how such a provacative event could ever be seen as helpful.
gizmojumpjet wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:I'm against any event whose prime directive is to promote distrust, fear, and anger towards another group of people. This event, while totally legal (as it should be - even if I disagree with what a person says, I'll defend their right to say it all day long), was provacative and hypocritical.
What do you think contributes more to fear and distrust towards the Muslim community: People drawing cartoons, or Muslims trying to kill the cartoonists?
First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.

So, do I think people inciting anger through their actions contributes more to fear and distrust towards the Muslim community than Muslims trying to kill the cartoonists? No. In the end, the ones that meant the most harm were the two gunmen. That is indisputable. However, it is disingenuous to say that the organizers didn't think this would happen. The top people of AFDI also run the group called Stop Islamization of America whose stated goal is to "rouse public fears about a vast Islamic conspiracy to destroy American values." By THEIR OWN admission, they seek to promote fear.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Tanasinn wrote:You don't need to sympathize with them to know that murdering people with an assault rifle over a cartoon is never acceptable. I don't care how big of assholes they were, their right to free speech is a right.
I couldn't agree more.

My outrage towards the organizers of this group is overshadowed by the anger I feel over two Americans deciding to commit mass murder. They got what they had coming to them.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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KroLazuxy_87 wrote:The fact that a group from New York - labeled as a hate group...
They aren't the ones who just tried to murder a peaceful protest.
...and ran by outspoken islamophobes...
Those wacky islamophobes! They think that if they draw a picture of Mohammed, some Muslim will try to murder th- Oh. Right.
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.
They are hardly alone in that. ISIL has murdered people for breeding pigeons. Are you going to say "They knew there was a fatwah against bird breeders, so it's their own fault"?
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Tanasinn wrote:You don't need to sympathize with them to know that murdering people with an assault rifle over a cartoon is never acceptable. I don't care how big of assholes they were, their right to free speech is a right.
Pretty much how I feel aboot this. The cartoonists are assholes for making fun of a religion but the dudes attempting to kill people drawing crap are the bigger assholes. The former group while I may not agree with what they are doing are protected by law and rules of civilized society, the latter group not so much. The cartoonists are also just offending people and hurting the butts of idiots while the shooters are trying to freaking kill people.

Also I supposed you think murdering people with a hunting rifle over a cartoon is okay? :wink:
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Only in .308 :P
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

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Grumman wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:The fact that a group from New York - labeled as a hate group...
They aren't the ones who just tried to murder a peaceful protest.
No shit. What's your point?
Grumman wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:...and ran by outspoken islamophobes...
Those wacky islamophobes! They think that if they draw a picture of Mohammed, some Muslim will try to murder th- Oh. Right.
Please don't quote only a small portion out of my larger statement then attack it. Yeah, they drew a picture of Mohammed and some self-describing Muslims tried to shoot them. That's not news. That's not antithesis to ANYTHING I've said. My position is that they wanted to get a reaction out of the radical Islamist element, and they did. If you don't think this is what happened, say so.
Grumman wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote:First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.
They are hardly alone in that. ISIL has murdered people for breeding pigeons. Are you going to say "They knew there was a fatwah against bird breeders, so it's their own fault"?
What?? No seriously, I'm confused what comparrison you're making here and I would like some clarification.

Are you saying that AFDI and ISIL are the same? I sure as fuck wouldn't. They're SO different, to compare their actions is ridiculous.
Are you saying that the gunmen and ISIL are the same? Aside from the fact the one gunman thought it would be fun to join ISIL (he didn't get the chance) I don't see the comparison either.

Why the fuck you would think I could ever condone murder of bird breeders or anyone else is beyond me. It is PERSONALLY insulting that you would insuate anything of the sort and I would appreciate an apology. I wouldn't blame bird breeders for their own deaths because they knew there was a fatwah against them. I'd blame the people that did the killing.

I'm racking my brain for a comparison that is more apt for this situation and realize that nothing I come up with, however close, is ever completely accurate. So I'll stay away from comparisons or extrapolations. They seem only to sow misunderstanding between us.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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KroLazuxy_87
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by KroLazuxy_87 »

Looks like they've got a second name now.
Nadir Soofi: Officials Reportedly ID 2nd Gunman In Texas Attack
Law enforcement officials on Monday afternoon identified the second man suspected of opening fire Sunday on a Muhammed cartoon contest near Dallas as Nadir Soofi, the Washington Post reported.

Soofi lived in Phoenix with Elton Simpson, the other suspected gunman in the attack, according to the Post.

FBI agents on Monday searched an apartment in Phoenix where Simpson and Soofi reportedly lived.

The two gunmen were killed after they opened fire on security officers outside of an event hosted by anti-Muslim group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative. The gunmen arrived near the event with assault rifles and began shooting at two officers, but one police officer shot and killed both suspects.
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Channel72
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by Channel72 »

What?? No seriously, I'm confused what comparrison you're making here and I would like some clarification.
He's saying ISIL is really bad, therefore we shouldn't be complaining about these idiots, because at least they're against things like ISIL.

Because you know, ISIL is such a great ethical standard. In fact, I make all my decisions in life by first asking: "is what I'm about to do as bad as ISIL?" If not, I go right ahead and do it.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by Grumman »

Channel72 wrote:
What?? No seriously, I'm confused what comparrison you're making here and I would like some clarification.
He's saying ISIL is really bad, therefore we shouldn't be complaining about these idiots, because at least they're against things like ISIL.
No, I'm saying that his efforts to place blame on the intended victims of this terrorist attack for doing something that makes Islamic extremists murderously angry are stupid, because lots of things make Islamic extremists murderously angry - everything from apostasy to owning pigeons.
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by Kon_El »

KroLazuxy_87 wrote: First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.
To say that the contest was intentionally trying to incite violence when threats of violence had already been made is ass backwards.
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KroLazuxy_87
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by KroLazuxy_87 »

Grumman wrote:
Channel72 wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote: What?? No seriously, I'm confused what comparrison you're making here and I would like some clarification.
He's saying ISIL is really bad, therefore we shouldn't be complaining about these idiots, because at least they're against things like ISIL.
No, I'm saying that his efforts to place blame on the intended victims of this terrorist attack for doing something that makes Islamic extremists murderously angry are stupid, because lots of things make Islamic extremists murderously angry - everything from apostasy to owning pigeons.
Ok, so you were comparing the gunmen to ISIL. That makes the most sense. So you really don't think that AFDI in anyway predicted this would happen? I'm not saying it's their fault gunmen showed up, that's on those fuckers. I'll place 99% of the blame on them, I'm just wanting to place 1% on AFDI. They're not a group that goes around promoting a bunch of freedoms and individual rights, they just antagonize another group of people under false pretenses.
Kon_El wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote: First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.
To say that the contest was intentionally trying to incite violence when threats of violence had already been made is ass backwards.
What threats of violence, specifically, are you referring to? Were there threats made against the community?
To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a freedom. The freedom to criticize ideas, any ideas - even if they are sincerely held beliefs - is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. A law which attempts to say you can criticize and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed. -Rowan Atkinson
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Kon_El
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Re: 2 Gunmen Killed Outside 'Draw the Prophet' Show

Post by Kon_El »

KroLazuxy_87 wrote:
Kon_El wrote:
KroLazuxy_87 wrote: First, stop saying they were simply drawing cartoons. They were deliberating perpetrating an act that was known to incite anger and at times violence among the most radical outlying members of the Islamic faith.
To say that the contest was intentionally trying to incite violence when threats of violence had already been made is ass backwards.
What threats of violence, specifically, are you referring to? Were there threats made against the community?
You know damn well that there is a general threat of violence against anyone who would dare draw or otherwise portray Muhammad. Otherwise how could the organizers of this event have predicted that something like this might happen?
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