http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/13938 My having been an avid reader of the funny papers for as long as I can remember, beginning with the Bakersfield Californian during childhood back in the 30s I seemed to have intuitively realized the comics were the intellectual part of newspapers. Even as I grew older “Snuffy Smith” and “Li’l Abner” made more sense than most of what I would find in the rest of the paper. Others would come along, and apart from the just plain fun of some of these when it came to social comment I appreciated some of the newcomers like Trudeau with “Doonesbury,” and I really loved Breathed’s “Bloom County” from the beginning. In addition to being a real hoot, the kind of imagination that went into making a penguin the focus of the storyline was something I could admire. The recent flap over some newspapers refusing to print “Opus” because some mild fun was poked at Islam is, to me, not only most regrettable, but quite literally unforgivable! For how long have the Founding Fathers and Christians been treated harshly by so-called “humorists” without any restraint. But now, suddenly we find Muslims are to be taken more seriously by the MSM than any others, and are not permitted to be held to the same account by humorists; and this despite the fact that so much of the religion is so patently ridiculous as to lend itself to being made fun of. During WWII, part of winning the war was not only demonizing our enemies, but poking fun at them. For those lacking a knowledge of the history of this, simply get a copy of Bill Mauldin’s Pulitzer winning “Up Front” or look at some of the humor in Jim Jones’ Pulitzer winning “WWII.” But through the censorship of political correctness I doubt either book would find a publisher today any more than the film “Blazing Saddles” could be made today. We would do well to question the kind of censorship that denies Opus being published. How is it Muslims have the kind of power in America Opus be censored? Bad enough most of us would agree it is all about oil, and like the refusal of politicians to secure our borders for the sake of slave labor benefiting the wealthy so with Big Oil and Muslims. But to censor Opus seems to me going far over the line. I have to ask myself, is this because unlike Christians and other targets of “humorists” the elite in America are actually afraid of offending Muslims, and if so, why? The MSM and many of those considered “humorists” on TV seem very reluctant to take on Islam as being fair game for humor. And this may be a result of concern for both corporate profits and actual fear of barbarians that quite literally will cut off your head for the glory of their bloodthirsty deity and its pervert “prophet.” However, the refusal to deal with this problem is costing the MSM much credibility. I’m not naïve to the fact a few determined fanatics can wreak havoc, nor am I naïve about the many forms of censorship, largely political correctness, that hold the MSM in bondage. But I won’t be “spit on” by anyone. I’m an American of the old school, and hate and despise bullies especially. And when I see the bullies of Islam and its supporters taking after Breathed this arouses my ire! Fair play is part of my heritage as an American, and it used to be an American trait. Now we are facing the bully in the White House demanding more billions of taxpayer dollars to pursue his mad dreams of empire through his wars to benefit the wealthy while America’s own infrastructure is crumbling everywhere! And a complicit equally corrupt Congress will not confront Caesar in his madness! Where in God’s name is there any sense of fair play to be found in this thoroughly corrupt and morally bankrupt Federal Triune Dictatorship! While to the shame of America We the People have become inured to the perversion and corruption of politicians and their corporate masters, it is no less shameful to allow the bullies of Islam or any others to spit on us by the censorship of threats and intimidation, the tactics used of the ACLU and its supporters. Ask that our borders be secured, that illegal aliens be deported rather than our tax money being used to support them and you will be called a “racist” by the bullies. This is nothing but bullying censorship! But as to censorship taking many forms, as just one example of many I could give those of us who have been posting on the Bakersfield Californian blog for any length of time have seen many promising people give up in disgust because of a miniscule number of fanatics that ridicule, belittle, insisting their abusive comments be allowed, some even threatening me personally to keep posting their scurrilous comments faster than I can delete them! It only takes a small number of these fanatical bullies to ruin the whole Californian blog. Many times people will choose not to comment on a post they find of interest knowing the bullies will be there, just waiting to pounce. These few bullies will always know better than anyone else no matter the topic, they always insist on having the dogmatic last word as though only their opinion counted, and attempt to censor by intimidation. It has been disastrous for many who have allowed the insults and intimidation to continue rather than deleting or reporting such violations of even common courtesy, something oblivious to the bullies. And characteristically of bullies, these persons will seldom ever post anything of their own. Bullies do not like to expose themselves to the same tactics of intimidation they use on others, and when they do post they are very quick to delete any opposing views. Over the last couple of years I have cautioned some not to allow the camel to get its nose in the tent; they should delete these few bullies from the very beginning. The bully will only be encouraged by those that tolerate the bullies, and if it can happen to Opus it can happen to you. In my opinion, the Californian blog is suffering a declining readership and posters because of the few bullies censoring others by insults, threats and intimidation, especially anyone who has conservative views they would like to share with others. And as to the bullies in government, just how long are We the People to tolerate them putting the interests of foreign nations ahead of the interests of America? Will it actually take that terrorist nuclear bomb going off at LAX or DC? If I believed in prayer, I would pray not. But things are so spinning out of control in DC due to perversion and corruption I am afraid this is the only thing that will get the attention of politicians so deeply mired in perversion and corruption that not even 9/11 proved a wakeup call, but rather rewarded a mad man and fool together with his wealthy cronies to encourage Muslim fanatics and make America hated and despised throughout the world! My having been an avid reader of the funny papers for as long as I can remember, beginning with the Bakersfield Californian during childhood back in the 30s I seemed to have intuitively realized the comics were the intellectual part of newspapers. Even as I grew older “Snuffy Smith” and “Li’l Abner” made more sense than most of what I would find in the rest of the paper. Others would come along, and apart from the just plain fun of some of these when it came to social comment I appreciated some of the newcomers like Trudeau with “Doonesbury,” and I really loved Breathed’s “Bloom County” from the beginning. In addition to being a real hoot, the kind of imagination that went into making a penguin the focus of the storyline was something I could admire. The recent flap over some newspapers refusing to print “Opus” because some mild fun was poked at Islam is, to me, not only most regrettable, but quite literally unforgivable! For how long have the Founding Fathers and Christians been treated harshly by so-called “humorists” without any restraint. But now, suddenly we find Muslims are to be taken more seriously by the MSM than any others, and are not permitted to be held to the same account by humorists; and this despite the fact that so much of the religion is so patently ridiculous as to lend itself to being made fun of. During WWII, part of winning the war was not only demonizing our enemies, but poking fun at them. For those lacking a knowledge of the history of this, simply get a copy of Bill Mauldin’s Pulitzer winning “Up Front” or look at some of the humor in Jim Jones’ Pulitzer winning “WWII.” But through the censorship of political correctness I doubt either book would find a publisher today any more than the film “Blazing Saddles” could be made today. We would do well to question the kind of censorship that denies Opus being published. How is it Muslims have the kind of power in America Opus be censored? Bad enough most of us would agree it is all about oil, and like the refusal of politicians to secure our borders for the sake of slave labor benefiting the wealthy so with Big Oil and Muslims. But to censor Opus seems to me going far over the line. I have to ask myself, is this because unlike Christians and other targets of “humorists” the elite in America are actually afraid of offending Muslims, and if so, why? The MSM and many of those considered “humorists” on TV seem very reluctant to take on Islam as being fair game for humor. And this may be a result of concern for both corporate profits and actual fear of barbarians that quite literally will cut off your head for the glory of their bloodthirsty deity and its pervert “prophet.” However, the refusal to deal with this problem is costing the MSM much credibility. I’m not naïve to the fact a few determined fanatics can wreak havoc, nor am I naïve about the many forms of censorship, largely political correctness, that hold the MSM in bondage. But I won’t be “spit on” by anyone. I’m an American of the old school, and hate and despise bullies especially. And when I see the bullies of Islam and its supporters taking after Breathed this arouses my ire! Fair play is part of my heritage as an American, and it used to be an American trait. Now we are facing the bully in the White House demanding more billions of taxpayer dollars to pursue his mad dreams of empire through his wars to benefit the wealthy while America’s own infrastructure is crumbling everywhere! And a complicit equally corrupt Congress will not confront Caesar in his madness! Where in God’s name is there any sense of fair play to be found in this thoroughly corrupt and morally bankrupt Federal Triune Dictatorship! While to the shame of America We the People have become inured to the perversion and corruption of politicians and their corporate masters, it is no less shameful to allow the bullies of Islam or any others to spit on us by the censorship of threats and intimidation, the tactics used of the ACLU and its supporters. Ask that our borders be secured, that illegal aliens be deported rather than our tax money being used to support them and you will be called a “racist” by the bullies. This is nothing but bullying censorship! But as to censorship taking many forms, as just one example of many I could give those of us who have been posting on the Bakersfield Californian blog for any length of time have seen many promising people give up in disgust because of a miniscule number of fanatics that ridicule, belittle, insisting their abusive comments be allowed, some even threatening me personally to keep posting their scurrilous comments faster than I can delete them! It only takes a small number of these fanatical bullies to ruin the whole Californian blog. Many times people will choose not to comment on a post they find of interest knowing the bullies will be there, just waiting to pounce. These few bullies will always know better than anyone else no matter the topic, they always insist on having the dogmatic last word as though only their opinion counted, and attempt to censor by intimidation. It has been disastrous for many who have allowed the insults and intimidation to continue rather than deleting or reporting such violations of even common courtesy, something oblivious to the bullies. And characteristically of bullies, these persons will seldom ever post anything of their own. Bullies do not like to expose themselves to the same tactics of intimidation they use on others, and when they do post they are very quick to delete any opposing views. Over the last couple of years I have cautioned some not to allow the camel to get its nose in the tent; they should delete these few bullies from the very beginning. The bully will only be encouraged by those that tolerate the bullies, and if it can happen to Opus it can happen to you. In my opinion, the Californian blog is suffering a declining readership and posters because of the few bullies censoring others by insults, threats and intimidation, especially anyone who has conservative views they would like to share with others. And as to the bullies in government, just how long are We the People to tolerate them putting the interests of foreign nations ahead of the interests of America? Will it actually take that terrorist nuclear bomb going off at LAX or DC? If I believed in prayer, I would pray not. But things are so spinning out of control in DC due to perversion and corruption I am afraid this is the only thing that will get the attention of politicians so deeply mired in perversion and corruption that not even 9/11 proved a wakeup call, but rather rewarded a mad man and fool together with his wealthy cronies to encourage Muslim fanatics and make America hated and despised throughout the world! en-us It is a shame to censor anything, but sometimes it is necessary.  It's the double standard that bothers me.  The idea of "It is necessary for me to censor but not necessary for you to censor."  Muslims have that power of censorship because many people are afraid of them.  Does it make them happy that everyone is afraid of offending them?  Do they like that entire countries feel like they are walking on eggshells around them? There is a difference between bullying and opposing.  When the opposition is rational and well thought out and the information is offered as a debate, not as a put-down, then I would deem it acceptable.  After all, what good is having an opinion if you're not willing to think about it in the face of opposing points of view? http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/13938/#c_133497 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/13938/#c_133497 It is a shame to censor anything, but sometimes it is necessary.  It's the double standard that bothers me.  The idea of "It is necessary for me to censor but not necessary for you to censor."  Muslims have that power of censorship because many people are afraid of them.  Does it make them happy that everyone is afraid of offending them?  Do they like that entire countries feel like they are walking on eggshells around them? There is a difference between bullying and opposing.  When the opposition is rational and well thought out and the information is offered as a debate, not as a put-down, then I would deem it acceptable.  After all, what good is having an opinion if you're not willing to think about it in the face of opposing points of view? It's quite ironic that you would post an article railing against censorship, when you have, many times, deleted opposing view/comments/opinions from your blogs. "...this despite the fact that so much of the religion is so patently ridiculous as to lend itself to being made fun of." and you think that Christianity isn't just as patently ridiculous as Islam? "After all, what good is having an opinion if you're not willing to think about it in the face of opposing points of view?" Excellent point madkow, I think you know what I'm referring to samheath. http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/13938/#c_133566 http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/13938/#c_133566 It's quite ironic that you would post an article railing against censorship, when you have, many times, deleted opposing view/comments/opinions from your blogs. "...this despite the fact that so much of the religion is so patently ridiculous as to lend itself to being made fun of." and you think that Christianity isn't just as patently ridiculous as Islam? "After all, what good is having an opinion if you're not willing to think about it in the face of opposing points of view?" Excellent point madkow, I think you know what I'm referring to samheath.