JE SUIS CHARLIE!
by Dennis Reeves Cooper
This is a followup to my letter to the editor that was published last week. It was in reference to the massacre of eight employees at a small newspaper in Paris by Islamic terrorists. The newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, which specializes in satire, had published cartoons that made fun of the Prophet Muhammad. Reportedly, however, the newspaper’s editors are equal opportunity satirists, routinely ridiculing powerful people in government and business as well as political, corporate, social– and religious organizations. All religious organizations, not just Islam.
So why would a couple of Islamic nutcakes be motivated to shoot up a newspaper office just because the editors published a couple of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad? The answer is quite simple. The Muslim religion apparently prohibits any artistic depiction of the Prophet, calling such depictions sacrilegious. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. In the terrorists’ minds, the newspaper published the cartoons, so the cartoonists and the editors and the writers had to die. You can understand the simple logic of that reasoning, can’t you? They were simply revenging the Prophet.
Most of the international response to the massacre has been in support of free speech and to decry the murderous behavior of religious crazies who apparently feel that they have a moral right to kill those who dare to say or publish something that offends them. But some commentators have actually suggested that the editors of Charlie Hebdo had “crossed a line” and should have, therefore, not have been surprised when that they were attacked. And in fact, some commentators pointed out, the newspaper had even been “warned” by previous threats. So, these commentators inferred, the newspaper should not have published the cartoons.
No, no, no, no! That’s not how free speech works. The concept of protected speech is not to protect non-controversial and tasteful speech. Non-controversial and tasteful speech rarely needs protection in free societies. The real purpose of the free speech concept is to protect controversial and even offensive and tasteless speech. I believe that most Americans share my attitude concerning free speech: I may not agree with what you’re saying, but I strongly believe that you have the absolute right to say it or publish it.
During the years that I ran Key West The Newspaper, there were many critics who complained that we occasionally “crossed a line” when we exposed corruption and incompetence in city and county governments and in local and county law enforcement– and especially when we revealed a sex scandal or two. But nobody threatened to kill us– even when, back in 2006, we reprinted a couple of cartoons that made fun of the prophet Muhammad. Those cartoons had originally been published by a Danish newspaper– which had resulted in the editors receiving death threats. I re-published two of those cartoons to make a free speech statement.
But last week, the threats became real in Paris. Eight journalists were gunned down for simply exercising their right to free speech. Speech that was offensive to some maybe. But speech that was their right to publish nevertheless. Some of the commentators who suggested that Charlie Hebdo “went over the line” also pointed out that there are extremists in all religions, not just in the Muslim world. True. But there are few examples of extremists in religions other than Islam who go around killing people who write or say things that they disagree with. Comedian Bill Maher has made a career out of ridiculing Christianity as simply a fairy tale and suggesting that, if you are a true believer, you are simply stupid. As far as I know, no Christian extremist– no matter how offended he or she might be– has ever attempted to kill Maher.
I am also pleased to report that, when I published those Danish cartoons in KWTN, nobody threatened to kill me either. In fact, nobody ever even sued us for anything we published. But if you are a longtime reader, you may recall that former Police Chief Buz Dillon did have me arrested for publishing something he didn’t like. Fortunately for me, the ACLU agreed with me that it was a free speech thing and sued Dillon and the city on my behalf. Ultimately, the state law that Dillon used to arrest me was declared unconstitutional and the City of Key West bought me a new sports car and a new computer system for the newspaper. And not long after that, Dillon was fired and the voters of Key West created an independent Citizen Review Board to oversee the Key West Police Department. Free speech continues to be alive and well in Key West.
One more thing you need to know about the remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo. This week, they published the first issue of the newspaper since the massacre. A cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad is featured on page one. (How do you say cojones in French?) Ironically, the terrorists’ goal of killing Charlie Hebdo has had just the opposite effect. Before the attack, the newspaper sold about 60,000 copies on a good week. This week, five million copies were published– and they are already sold out. Over the weekend,more than a million people marched in a rally in Paris in support of free speech and Charlie Hebdo. Signs are everywhere in Paris: “Je Suis Charlie!” (I am Charlie!) The newspaper is way more famous than before. And the dumbass terrorists have been caught and shot down like dogs. I refer to them as “dumbass” because one of the reasons they got caught is that one of them left his ID in the getaway car. Duh!
Finally, I need to add a note here about hypocrisy. Muslims around the world are decrying the publication of the new issue of Charlie Hebdo with the cartoon of Muhammad on the cover, warning that it could provoke new attacks on the newspaper. Meanwhile, newspapers in Muslim countries routinely publish the vilest of cartoons depicting Jesus in particular and Jews in general. In France, while free speech has been much discussed and promoted in recent days, I am told that there is a federal law on the books that makes it a criminal offense to deny that the Holocaust ever happened. While I agree that it is beyond tasteless and stupid to deny the Holocaust, stating a stupid opinion about it should not be against the law. From a free speech standpoint, that makes about as much sense as passing a law making it a criminal offense to publish a cartoon depicting Muhammad or criticizing Jesus.
One more note, this one related to Journalism 101. Stories about the Charlie Hebdo cartoons have been published around the world over the past week or so, but many of the media have not included photos of the actual cartoons– an integral element of the story. As a former journalism teacher, let me see if I’ve got this right. They run a story about cartoons that apparently provoked a mass killing but, for some reason, don’t show the cartoons– or if they show them, they blur them. Among the explanations I’ve heard is that editors thought they might be considered offensive by some readers or viewers. Bull! They haven’t run the cartoons because management feared retaliation by Islamic terrorists– just as the management of many movie theaters opted not to run the satiric movie “The Interview” after bomb threats from, allegedly, North Korea. In the movie, a comedy, two hapless journalists find themselves involved in a fictional plot to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. The movie has since been released online.
I do have an admission here: Back in 2006, when I made the decision to run a couple of the Danish cartoons in Key West The Newspaper, I hesitated for a moment– but I was reasonably certain that there were no serious Islamic terrorists here in Key West who might want to raid our offices.
If you want to see the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, go online to huffingtonpost.com “These are the Charlie Hebdo cartoons that the terrorists thought were worth killing over.” You might be surprised at how tame they are. But keep in mind that the perceived “crime” here is publishing any depiction of the Prophet Muhammad at all.
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Dennis Reeves Cooper founded Key West The Newspaper in 1994 and was editor and publisher for 18 years before he retired in 2012.
If we are talking about hypocrisy here, let’s also include our cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia, whose “free speech” credentials are amongst the worst in the world. In fact, the Saudi form of Islam is perhaps the most narrow minded and oppresive of all, and yet, they are amongst America’s closest allies. How’s that for hypocrisy?
I agree speech should be free, and should not be interfered with, unless it is tantamount to yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. My goodness, many times I have stood near rabid Christian fanatics on Duval Street in Key West shouting and even screaming horrible things about Fantasy Fest participants, homosexuals, nudity, even as KW Police stood nearby protecting the rabid fanatics and even interfering with other people, including me, getting in the fanatics faces with words of their own. I doubt anyone ever thought of doing bodily injury to those fanatics, but if it had happened, and they acted surprised it happened, then they truly were out of touch with reality.
What happened in France was monstrous, the work of the devil, literally, those Muslim terrorists were demonically possessed, as were the rabid Christian fanatics at Fantasy Fest, who, I felt would very much have liked to have had AK 47s in their hands, mowing down anyone and everyone in their line of sight. If you have not seen these people at Fantasy Fest, you cannot imagine the looks in their eyes, the saliva drooling out of their mouths, the veins standing up on their necks, the shrill in their voices.
The people at Charlie had to know they were targets, that what did happen to them, very well could happen to them. That does not make them at fault, it only is stating the obvious. Naja and Arnaud made themselves targets in the Charles Eimers case. Dennis Cooper, you made yourself a target in a number of articles you published, when you owned and ran the blue paper. You knew you could end up shot or disappeared. You had to know it. I know I could end up shot or disappeared, for what I publish about KWPD at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com.
I also know, Dennis, because I had the personal experience with you, that you did not always honor free speech, in that something you wrote, to which I responded, you did not publish to set the full story before your readers. Nor did you ever publish that the warrant issued for your arrest was approved by Judge Wayne Miller, and but for Miller approving the warrant, you would not have been arrested and that story about you and Buz Dillon would have played out very differently. Miller skated clean away in that situation, even though, as a lawyer and a judge, he never should have signed the warrant, and you never went after him in the blue paper, and you never sued him for signing the warrant, which he, as a lawyer and a judge, had far better reason to know was not okay, than did Buz Dillon.
Nor, Dennis, did you ever report what Buz himself told me shortly before he turned in his badge and left Key West, after he was asked by City Manager Julio Avael to resign. Buz told me that you and he were buddies. He was fed up with the Citizen and the Keynoter’s reporting, or misreporting, so he was feeding all cop shop news to you, for you to scoop those two newspapers. And then you got wind of an Internal Affairs investigation and broke the story without talking beforehand with Buz. He said you damaged the IA investigation, maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. But he felt you did, and he was really pissed off and lost his head and had the warrant presented to Judge Miller for your arrest. Buz said he screwed up, and now he was leaving Key West because he had screwed up.
This, Dennis, is the kind of stuff that I tend to end up getting to report. The last time I commented under one of your articles since Naja and Arnaud acquired the blue paper, and went into all of the above, Naja did not clear my comment from moderation. She protected you, like you protected Judge Miller., And guess who later presided over your DUI case? Judge Miller And guess who put you on probation? Judge Miller. And guess who released you from probation based on your word in a letter, which you sent to him, saying you had completed all the terms of your probation? Judge Miller. That’s what was in the court file the court clerk gave to me to inspect. Nothing in that file indicating Judge Miller had verified with your probation officer that you had completed the terms of your probation.
I hate what happened to the people at Charlie. I hate what happened to Charles Eimers. I imagine his children view the KW cops who killed their father and then covered it up and perjured themselves in their incident reports, in their reports to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in their testimony before the fake grand jury, and in their depositions in the federal lawsuit filed against them by the Eimers children, about like you and I view the Muslim terrorists who killed the Charlie folks. That’s right, we have terrorists right here in Key West, they killed Charles Eimers and laughed while they did it. I bet most, if not all, of them are Christians and attend church.
Freedom of speech is really important, which is why I gave you a soul drawing in 2002 about freedom of speech, and on it I wrote, “The pen is mightier than the sword, thus the sword defends the pen,” and you ended up giving the drawing back to me, because you had no use for it, you said, and I’ve been living it ever since.
Maybe more later.
I must insist on proof of this statement, “Meanwhile, newspapers in Muslim countries routinely publish the vilest of cartoons depicting Jesus in particular and Jews in general.”
As for the “cartoons” Charlie ran, those were seriously rough, inflammatory drawings. On par with, or maybe even more aggressive than, Arnaud’s “cartoons” in the Eimers case. However, I do not feel Charlie’s cartoons were the prime cause of the assassinations. France’s role in the Middle East and its role in the Persian Gulf War, and its role in later wars in Muslim countries is the seed for the Charlie assassinations. Same seed in the American vein led to 9/11. Charlie is a minnow compared to 9/11. However, France is much closer, as the raven flies, to Muslim countries, than is America. France, Britain, America, and their allies need not but look in the mirror to find their enemy.
I went into that in my post today at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com, which starts with a review of “American Sniper”, and then segues into Dennis Cooper’s “Je Suis Charlie” article and the reader comments.
I dreamed all night about what I would publish today, and that it had to be from the feminine subjective perspective and response, as opposed to the testosterone steroid perspective and response. Absence of the feminine is the cause of all of humanity’s ails. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 9/11, the assassination of Charlie’s journalists, the killing of Charles Eimers and the ensuing massive cover up all are examples of absence of the feminine. Rest assured, the Devil likes her gone.
Seriously, either publish links to examples of the vile cartoons depicting Jesus and Jews or retract your lie!
And I would also like to comment that the only “dumbass” is the person who believes that the perpetrators accidently left their ID in the “get away car”. Likely the same dumbasses who believe that the passports of the 911 “terrorist” were found in prestine condition laying on NYC streets while the buildings were left in ash.
From what I’ve read, a columnist at Charlie Hebdo was fired in 2009 for “anti-semitism”.
Cojones [Español]] –> Couilles [Français] –> Balls [English]
Dennis,
Excellent article. Well thought out and written. Sensitive and controversial issues surrounding this tragedy are intelligently explored…Thank you…
Naja and other blue paper readers …
Around noon today, I lay down for a nap. Just as I was drifting off, a vision came of a woman with a poisonous forked-tongue snake squeezing out of her mouth. Then came a number of difficult dreams. Then I awoke, wondering what all that was about?
I went online to see if I could find out there what it was all about. Nothing in my email account. I went to the blue paper and looked at reader comments under Dennis Reeves Coopers’ “Je Suis Charlie” article, and saw Sister’s second demand that Dennis publish proof of Muslim anti-semitic cartoons of Jesus and Jews.
Google-imaging “anti-semitic cartoons from the arab and muslim world” brought up lots of anti-Jewish/Israel cartoons.
Then, I went to my website, http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com and looked at reader comments and found this comment from Sister, which I had not yet seen. She submits comments there using a [email protected] email address.
Submitted 1/11/2015
“And here’s something for your followers to contemplate. I asked the editor of the jewpaper to share this video with her jew columnists but I doubt she will.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAWuVy0QW18&feature=youtu.be
Certainly makes one wonder doesn’t it?
Naja, I don’t know which Jew paper or Jew columnist Sister means. Key West the Newspaper? Did she submit the same comment to the blue paper? Does Sister know you are Jewish?
Earlier related conversations with Sister at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com:
Sister to me, 1/5/2015
“Jews have been kicked out of over 100 countries…ever wonder why?”
Me to Sister, 1/5/2015
“No, I don’t wonder why, but I wonder why you kick Jews around? You really do seem Nazi in that regard. I told you before, I think, I published it a number of times, my Jewish New Age friend, who was taken into the same training I was in, was told by Jesus and Michael, he told me, that the reason for the Jewish diaspora, including the Holocaust, was the Jews had rejected the Christ teachings brought by one of their own, Jesus. I can’t imagine how you twist your mind to think I am a Jewish sympathizer. No Jew I know could be easy with what I write and say about their sect; nor can any Christian I know be comfortable with what I say about their sect; nor can any Muslim be comfortable with what I say about Islam. All three religions are lost, although there are individuals in those religions who are doing okay, or better than okay, spiritually.
Sister to me, 1/6/2015
“Why? Because they are at the very apex of the problem. Fact.”
Me to Sister, 1/6/2016
“No, Sister, Jews are not the problem, but you can believe that, if you wish. You have much company. The problem is separation from God and demonic infection, or more serious, demonic possession; and it is in all segments of humanity, USA, Christendom, Islam, Judaism, and all other religions, all political parties, it’s everywhere.”
Naja, bout 2 weeks ago, I submitted a comment under one of your articles, that Sister is a Nazi and hates Jews, has them at the apex of humanity’s problems, and you did not clear that comment from moderation. Sister is the woman with the poisonous forked-tongued snake coming out of her mouth in my dream.
Starting today, I am hiding Sister’s comments to articles at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com and my other websites, until she gives me her real name and the city in which she lives and a recent photo of herself, and I am able to verify that. If she’s going to spew this kind of rhetoric, then she’s going do it fully exposed, like you, Arnaud and I do it.
Given my position on Israel, and that USA could get entirely out of the Middle East and stop all aid to and support of Israel; and given I myself am 1/8 Jewish through my Polish great grandfather, and he and one of this brothers who came to USA in the latter 1880s are the only parts of that bloodline the Nazis did not exterminate; and given I was raised Christian; and given my cheery positions on Christendom, Judaism and Islam, I suppose I am sufficiently stained and mongrelized to have no dog other than that world spelled backward with a capital G in the Islam/Judaism/Christendom conversation.
This comment is an amendment to my comment yesterday re Sister and Christendom, Judaism and Islam, caused by my being mangled in dreams last night. In my dream and spirit code, a snake is female gender. In the context of Christendom, Judaism and Islam, the snake represents the fall from Eden, which all three religions blame entirely on Eve, even though Adam also knew he was not supposed to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That story resulted in the destruction of the feminine in all three religions, which lies at the root of all three religions being testosterone-driven and demonically possessed. Many times I have published that destruction of the feminine in human beings is the cause of all of humanity’s ails, including all wars. If I received further corrections from my spirit handlers, who are Magdalene Melchizedek, Jesus, Archangel Michael and Kali, I will report those corrections here.
Naja, for your, Arnaud’s and blue paper readers’ further information re Sister and her state of mind and soul, to more comments from her to me at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com, on tasers being used on Charles Eimers, followed by my thoughts on the Eimers case part of what Sister wrote. She just loves you guys at the jewpaper (see jewpaper in her second comment below).
Submitted on 2015/01/11 at 12:14 pm
Thanks for giving me something to do this Sunday Sloan.
So, there were at least 3 eyewitnesses AT THE SCENE of Charles Eimers in custody death, who stated that they WITNESSESSED a TASER being used on Charles, but we’re supposed to take the word of an ex-cop and ex-pedophile who were NOT AT THE SCENE as to what took place and that a taser was not deployed. Is that right?
A taser can be used in DRY or DRIVE FIRE MODE so that it deploys as a stun gun.
READ THIS:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/244968.php
Look up the warnings on Taser International site about the use of their tasers.
I don’t know why I let you upset me, everyone knows cops are hired for their low IQ scores.
And the first thought that came to my mind when I saw that photo of you in your 30 something younger years was TED BUNDY.
Submitted on 2015/01/11 at 3:50 pm
Also, the female cop called in to dispatch that Eimers was TASED.
I recall asking the question many moons ago on thejewpaper what the significance of Eimers being tased would be. How that would impact the case against the murderers. Of course, I recieved no reply from any of the big brains at the site.
I put forth then and now that if the truth be proven, that Charles was indeed tased when he had 100% surrendered, was being handcuffed and was NOT RESISTING, that the use of a taser would constitute EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE. Any attorney worth his weight should be able to argue that fact! There was no reason other than that sadistic pos cop, who still roams your streets with authority and a loaded gun AND TASER, to tase Charles other than to get his jollies.
And I love how you pick and choose what lie you are going to believe from the liars. Isn’t it true that during a court proceeding that if a witness or defendant is found to lie about one instance that ALL of his/her testimony can be disregarded?
——————-
My thoughts. If the jury believes a taser (or stun gun) was used on Eimers, the jury will decide Eimers acutely bad heart gave out when the taser (or stun gun) was fired, and that is what killed him, and since Eimers was not wearing a sign saying he had an acutely bad heart, the cops had no way to know a taser (or stun gun) would kill him, so judgment for the cops and the city. That’s the very outcome the demon running the case for KWPD, the city, FDLE, the State Attorney, and the grand jury wants to get.
If I were the defense lawyers, I would make every effort to convince the jury a taser (or stun gun) was used on Eimers, because I would be very worried about the lies and cover up and the argument that the cops smothered Eimers to death and had it in for him because they thought he was homeless.
If I were the plaintiff lawyers, I would make every effort to convince the jury no taser (or stun) gun was used on Eimers, and what killed him was he was smothered to death, as per the two bystanders’ videos and a reenactment done live, on the beach, for the jury’s viewing and information.
The facts are the facts. And the facts according to multiple eyewitness accounts, documented dispatcher account and statements from the perp himself all indicate that a taser was used on Charles which would constitute excessive violence. You can go ahead and talk out of both sides of your bASShinsky and attempt to cover up the facts but I ain’t gonna buy it.
Would you call Jesus a Nazi as well being that he called out the Jews on their evil ways?
And thanks for giving me keys words to research for vile cartoons depicting Jews as I had difficulty finding any. The ones I found seem more factual than vile but I will look into it further. Any links to vile cartoons of Jesus by Muslims?
What does it mean to be 1/8 Jewish? Can a person be 1/8 Christian? 1/8 Muslim?
And no Sloan, I didn’t know Naja was Jewish as her name is of Arab heritage. Apparently she’s had a conversion.
For anyone who gives a care…I won’t be posting here anymore as I am tired of the censored freedom of speech. And Sloan, please keep me out of your dreams and your posts. Ciao.
The full Sister-Sloan tango above is reported in today’s “spiritual warfare is not a many splendor thing, but somebody’s got to do it – Key West Grail outpost” at http://www.goodmorningkeywest.com..
Many times now, I have recommended THE SPEAR OF DESTINY, by Trevor Ravenscroft, a Grail Knight. Set during World War I and World War 2, the book explains in riveting fashion the spiritual warfare underlying those two wars, and how Adolph Hitler, and later his top henchmen, made a conscious deal with the Devil, which resulted in them getting as close as they did to turning out the light in Western Civilization. But for a few Grail KnightS working for the Allies, the Nazis might have won. As far as I know, no one in Key West or the Florida Keys has taken me up on my many suggestions to read THE SPEAR OF DESTINY. People just don’t seem to want to know what is really going on behind the scenes..