The cartoons portrayed Muslims as a group in a very negative manner....one in particular had the basic creed of Islam and what was supposed to have been a protrayal of the Prophet of Islam (saw),  neither of which were responsible for the terrorist attacks.  They were designed to belittle and  provoke....and they did. 

Could you imagine anyone today doing something similar with a Jewish theme?  I´m quite sure there would have been a strong outcry against such an activity, it probably would have been more sophisticated, due to the fact that the Jewish community has more experience dealing with the issue and "Western" society.

At the least the "cartoons" were in bad taste......in reality they were a part of a propaganda program against a group.  Yes, they have a legal right to have been done, but was that a wise decision?  Was it a decision that will help bring about understanding and help ease tensions?

My moral compass says they were a very bad idea.

Not only is torture hideous, it is not effective in getting true actionable information.  Under torture, victims will say anything to make it stop.  It´s a totaly inefficient and counter productive method.  I can´t see any positive rational for it´s use.   It´s sadistic gratification.

It is shocking seeing how easily people can be led to commit such acts.  In this I´m referring to the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Torturers exist because they feel their actions have aproval of their surperiors and the larger society.  It seems that only by very loudly and clearly proclaiming it is NOT acceptable, it will stop.

"Officers´ messages

In light of this point it is interesting to ask what messages were being provided by fellow and, more critically, senior officers in the units where torture took place? Did those who didn´t approve fail to speak out for fear of being seen as weak or disloyal? Did senior officers who knew what was going on turn a blind eye or else simply file away reports of misbehaviour? "

One important part of that process is the dehumanization of the torture victim....and that takes place through making fun, belittling, attributing false attributes and objectifying others with little regard for the feelings of the victim.

We all have to be vigilent of our conduct.

Trudy, many of us have been deeply effected by WWII....and WWI. ...many who lived through it are still alive.  IOW it is still very much in living memory.  I have seen the tatoos, the schrapnel in flesh, heard crys of  nightmares, seen photos of missing relatives, helped dry tears.......I have known people who were in concentration camps......Jews and Roma in particular.

Holocausts do not come out of a vacuum, there are stages to them.  It´s like getting the flu, first you don´t really feel quite well....immediate attention and care to the system is needed.  If not rapidly attended to  you can be overcome with fever, which goes into your lungs and you die.  If you are careful in your conduct (that is washing your hands, fortifying your system, not getting run down) , you may avoid it.

Hate speech, that is the demonizing whole groups of people, making fun of them, belittling them.....IS one of the stages towards genocide/holocaust. ....and we want to prevent another holoaust.  It is only in recognizing (not denying)  the signs that we can do that.

So am I....and I can´t imagine why anyone, other than those who would have to see such disgusting things for legal matters, would want such images seared into their brains.

It has only been in the last few years the meaning of psychopath has become more clear.  Fortunately, most humans have some degree of compassion.....and shame.

I don´t think making a law punishable be jail time and fines is the answer, that just causes things to go underground where they fester.

Anyway, for what it´s worth, I think every war is a holocaust.

Actually, the mocking cartoons (and the adamant justification/denial is one of the stages towards Genocide....a Holocast....it dehumanizes, mocks and belittles  "others"....concentrating on the "otherness"....going down the trail to dehumanization of the "other" group.

I think being grateful/appreciative for what we have would help.  Too few (myself included) seem to realize what they have,  consequently,  are constantly trying to "improve" what is already wonderful, instead of being grateful for what is.  "We" tend to overlook the nice and concentrate on the not so nice.

Some cases in point, the person who gets a "nose job" because they think a different one would be better. I have too many friends who had beautiful noses, but now have silly (on their faces) wittle pugg noses., Women who get boob jobs, only to later find there are hazards they never thought of. 

More than a few software programs I´ve loved have been "upgraded" to uselessness. 

A mourning dove couple made a nest on the top of a palm tree outside my office....so sweet...the cooing is very soothing.  It´s so sweet seeing them with little branches and assorted material for making their "home" more comfortable.

 I am speaking of the larger context of love, not carnal love.  We hear the sayings, "I love those shoes, that car, that (insert celebrity of your choice).  I would not consider that love...rather desire.....more related to ego.  That is what I mean. If you love, you protect, you cherish.  There is romantic love, carnal love, sisterly love, brotherly love, parental love, mother love....marital love....all are aspects of love...but the ego does not exist in the love I´m speaking of.

It is interesting to note in Arabic and Turkish there are different words for love.  Sev & aþk are different states of love.  Sev is a begining state related to Aþk which is the merging with the beloved as one....the state where the self and the beloved are in the process of becoming one...united.

Are you familiar with the story of Layla and Majnun?

maybe you could read a little more..........

"Our ideas about love are confused. On the positive side, at least love, being loved and loving is the goal. At least eyes are now open and demanding change.

As far as technology, we can now read poetry, literature and enjoy the benefits of libraries, art collections, research information, exchange thoughts and ideas with others thousands of miles away. I love this technology.

For some reason it´s in human nature to complain more then express gratitude for our situation. I don´t have a toothache or headache today (although I now feel one coming on). I witnessed two doves making a nest and cooing because my eyes worked. I heard the dove cooing because my ears work. I saw the mist over the hills with the trees looking like an ancient Chinese painting. I saw more that was beautiful than ugly."