<p><a href=“The Stranger: Seattle's Only Newspaper”>The Stranger: Seattle's Only Newspaper;
<p>defending our free speech or our own comforts?</p>
<p>from what I have heard, there was a major meeting of Islamic Clerical leaders, etc and they discussed many issues</p>
<p>the “issue” of the cartoon, was talked about in the halls, in passing etc, and then some people decided to make it an issue</p>
<p>the idea that it is being used as an outlet for frustration in regimes that do not have any freedoms kind of makes sense</p>
<p>think 1984, the book, when war and having an “enemy” was used to distract the population from bad conditions and bad leadership</p>
<p>what is really sad is that the riots have re-enforced the cartoon depection of Islam, but the rioters are generally young men who have no power or say in their lives and are frustrated and pushed by others who want to have battles</p>
<p>remember in the 60s when FBI agents would actually create and push student groups to do “wrong”</p>
<p>well…</p>