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Originally Posted by ziggytrix
Those men did not get on those planes thinking "oh man, we're gonna take out some janitors, this is GREAT". They were targetting Americans and America, and ALL I'm saying is we'd do well to think about WHY they did it, and not just write them off as hating America because they're just EVIL men.
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I have an opinion on the 9/11 attacks, as do I have an opinion and some thoughts on American foreign policy, globalization, Islamo-fascism, etc.
BUT, as I said before, I think that's a bit off topic. You seem to be jumping to this guy's defense because you feel he makes some good points about 9/11 and American policy abroad in general. Fine. You're entitled to that, and you may even be right about some stuff.
However, what we're talking about is freedom of speech and censorship. That's the discussion. So-called "McCarthyism," that's the discussion.
Whether or not he makes valid points isn't the point. You yourself have acknowledged that his comments were sensational. You said "The majority of the essay was a look into why these people did what they did. ONE line compared, by use of hyperbole, the vicitms in the WTC to a Nazi murder. I don't agree with that comparison, but the rest of the essay should not be discounted."
Now the true debate is whether or not he has had his 1st amendment rights violated, and whether or not he should get fired for the Nazi comparison.
On the latter point, I think enough has been presented to justify his termination. On the former, regarding his rights, they have not been violated, IMO. He had his speech, and like all of us, he may need to deal with the consequences of that speech. Nothing in the 1st Amendment guarantees absolute shelter from any backlash that might result from your free speech. It merely states that Congress (i.e. "the state") will not prevent citizens from exercising their freedom.