Sta.sh
In case you haven’t heard, this is what happened yesterday. Terrorists entered and open fired on cartoonists at the Charlie Hebdo studio in France, killing 4 cartoonists, 2 cops, and overall 12 people in the process before getting away. This appears to have been an attack over controversial comics Charlie Hebdo published in 2012 depicting Mohammad. Please read here for more elaborate details: www.bbc.com/news/live/world-eu…
I’m not really going to talk about the incident itself, but rather it’s effect upon me. In the following paragraphs I’m going to re-post my thoughts from twitter (with some additional clarifications since twitter is only 140 characters long).
PS: This is a personal journal. I write about what I’m feeling or how things (news stories) relate to me. I am not trying to trivialize the deaths of others. I am writing about how this personally affects me. If you want to read something less personal, please visit a news website and read reports there. I am not a journalist.
My Twitter Discussion
I'm honestly not sure what to say about what happened in France. It really hit home harder than I would've expected...
1. It's ok to disapprove of what art they made while also condemning the terrorists and being sympathetic to the victims.
2. Using this incident as a means of hating all Muslims is despicable. All Muslims are not terrorists. Don't be racist/Islamaphobic.
3. I am not qualified to speak about the clearly intense French relationship with Muslims in their country. I live in the USA, not France.
4. I do not believe that ANY drawing or art should be grounds for murder. If you say "they should've expected it," you are victim blaming.
5. What happened to those artists is not grounds for bombing mosques out of anger and spite.
There's a lot of art about me (for example) that I don't like. But because I respect artistic free speech, I do not report them. I’ll block people, I’ll ignore them, but for the most part I never report any original art created by even my most vehement of haters. I believe in freedom of speech, and that does sadly include art and content (like the racist depictions by Charlie Hebdo artists) that I do not like or support.
One of the reasons this incident hit home is because I've done political cartoons before and also experienced IRL consequences for my art. At the 2012 MCM London Comic Con I was attacked by someone spraying me in the face with a water bottle. Incidental it may have been it still messed me up. Because some people didn't like my art, that justified hurting me in real life. That's a scary notion. Sure it was just water this time, but what about next time? The fact that it was water isn’t what’s scary... the fact that someone was able to do it at all is.
I've heard the justifications against me. "His art is shitty" "He's got a bad personality" "He's a hypocrite" "He traces" Not good enough. And I think that's what scares me the most. The fact that people CAN justify harassment, death threats, and even murder, for making cartoons. Heck, there are people over on twitter right now trying to trivialize what happened to me in 2012. Trying to justify the actions because of what a terrible person I am and trying to dehumanize me to make it “OK” for someone to do that.
It's a terrifying world we live in where just drawing art is enough to make some people want to murder or harm you. That's disgusting. Being a cartoonist is not a profession anyone should fear for their life being in. I bring up the water bottle incident because despite it being childish and kinda stupid, it still has had long-lasting and serious repercussions for me. For me the fear isn’t that someone will spray me again, it’s that next time it won’t be water. And as this terrorist attack proves, that’s a justified fear now.
This is the world we live in now. You can be murdered for drawing cartoons. And that terrifies me as an artist AND as an advocate for free speech. I WANT to stand up against this sort of thing and be brave... but I honestly don’t know if I can. It makes me question how far I’m willing to push my personal safety over some stupid drawings.
And that's mostly what I have to say on the matter. I really don't want to dwell on it too much more because it does bother me a lot.
PS: This is a personal journal. I write about what I’m feeling or how things (news stories) relate to me. I am not trying to trivialize the deaths of others. I am writing about how this personally affects me. If you want to read something less personal, please visit a news website and read reports there. I am not a journalist.
- Listening to: Podquisition
- Reading: Twitter
- Watching: Avatar: The Legend of Korra
- Playing: Marvel Puzzle Quest
- Eating: Cake
- Drinking: Decaf. Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
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:origin()/pre08/1e97/th/pre/f/2013/345/6/1/61b29f7ddaa7e40015bda09f2c12c1d1-d56rh6j.jpg)
Really?! Then why the hell did you (some random guy) punch me in the face at an art convention because I made a picture a church with shining lights?
I feel so bad that Andrew and his experience.
Take for instance, I recently stumbled upon a picture on the same Facebook page with a picture of Jesus Christ stuck to the cross with No More Nails (a brand of grab adhesive), accompanied with photo of the No More Nails bottle with the caption 'It's A Miracle!' underneath. I, being agnostic, have to confess that I did find that pretty funny. I also knew that it could potentially be kind of offensive to some of my friends who are Christian, which is why I didn't press the 'like' button. The same Facebook page has posted no end of other funny Christianity-mocking stuff, which again I haven't liked for the sake of my friends. Someone could say that some of the stuff it posts shows Christians in general in a derogatory light, but the point isn't really to make people hate Christians, it's just to poke a bit of fun at the stupidity of religion in general. No-one has tracked down the original maker of that picture and shot them, no-one has bombed the maker of the Facebook page (though they have recieved a ton of written abuse). Because even if you are religious and you do believe in God or Allah or whoever you believe in...surely, if you are a decent person, you can see that whipping people or hating gays or oppressing women or depriving anyone of rights in general in the name of someone who might or might not have existed is stupid. And even if the Charlie Hebdo cartoons did do that in a way which may seem a little heavy-handed (which, to be fair, may be expected to an extent of a satirical newspaper, given that satirical humour does tend to be a little biting, especially with regards to politics and religion), they in no way deserved those attacks whatsoever, and if they're continuing publication...well, good for them, I say. Maybe, not being a Muslim, I don't really understand the extent of the blasphemy and I can understand if a Muslim may not particularly like the cartoons, but there is so much idiocy that is still perpetuated by religion these days...I don't know, I can't help but think it a healthy thing if someone stands up and makes a mockery of it all every now and then.
Lecture over, very good and thought-provoking journal. Je Suis Charlie.
In france, muslism/arab have really low possiblity of know a good futur and life. Their media alwais bash on them..and that throw them in the hand of religous group. Extremist group are just more easily able to use all that rage and change kid into crazy killer.
Nobody should be kill for a drawing, but..come on. We must put this in perspectic and calm down.
Yes, that magazine drawing was often really rude. i HATE any religious stuff, symbol, and people whit faith as to my eyes they are barely able to breath whit their necrotic brain...but..the drawing was SO offensive Oo. (As exemple, draw their prohet on is four, exposing is asshole and ask for get butt fuck..and this is only one of them)
Usa kill more than 200 000 CIVILIAN in irak war (on over 500 000 civilian dead) AND give the power to group that work actively for remove any right to woman. (and after they complain about 11/11 because "ho no, that was civilan"...fucking bunch of hypocrite..and that what help terrorist..and give them a real moral justification for strike back (despite kill civilian is never a good thing..soldier is a fucking good thing XD)
Maybe we should just calm down
Stop hate.and think at what lead us to that situation..and what we could do for change it.
Change the way we consider other culture. Look at history and learn from our mistake.
Je suis Charlie.
And now i will defend myself, cus many of you will now assume that i am ok with the shooting. NO Im not. To kill people is almost more offending than draw the prophet. i sialm there is a saying, if you kill someone its like you killed the whole humanity, if you save someone its like you ave the whole humanity.
sorry for horrible eglish
On a complete side-note, out of curiosity, is the English alphabet new to you?? It looks like your using letters by sound, something people do often when learning a language with another alphabet (I phonetically spelled everything in Chinese class for example). If you're looking for some extra help with expanding and practicing your English, I'd be willing to try helping out if you'd like to send me a note.
to your side note.
I'm norwegian wth a crappy keyboard who don't care about grammar nazis. but thanx for the offer dude (or dudette)
Oh, okay. I thought it was spelling issue, not a keyboard issue. Alrighty then ^^ I hope the keyboard issue isn't too terrible, a friend of mine couldn't play games or anything because hers was so messed up, I hope that's not the case. You're welcome, tho, your English is pretty good otherwise, it's much better than my French or definitely my Chinese.
My keyboeard suffer from sugar O
I got water on a trackpad once, that was extremely unpleasant
Don't let the vile rants turn your smile into a frown.
When the comment thread turns dark that's when you need a clown, HEY!
Don't let the hate mail get you down Preston.
For me this is just simple hate speech, a thing that should be strongly criticized and not allowed in such free way. But people likes to say is just "freedom of speech" or just their "opinions", like you want to be a ignorant racist shit? Okey, but don't try to pass it at something that should be protect and harmless.
My only observation is one that came from my Islamic friends. They do worry that others will take up the Hebdo banner as a way saying that terrorism will not stop open/free press, leading to other attacks.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybod…
Why should we have to feel afraid of what could happen when we share our opinions/feelings?
Rest in peace, fellow artists. May where-ever you wind up be a nicer world than this one.
Free speech should be allowed, and no one should have to fear for their life because they do what they enjoy doing or because they express their opinions.
What the fuck, world. What the fuck.
twitter.com/Mattophobia/status…
I'm not Mattophobia but I follow him and I winced a bit when he posted these three tweets.
Not man, not woman. Just people like you.
What is wrong whit me? People like you are not drown when they born.
i don't support gamergate nor do i support your feminazist bullshit
i support gender equality
You , as all the pathetic worm of your kind, cry about thing that is far awais from your limited intelectuel world. Just stay in the mud, and shut up, for the good of all men and woman of this world.
It was an unfortunate situation for you but it really is in poor taste to equate the two.
While I don't think you've done anything that justifies any sense of assault, I really don't think that getting sprayed with water at a con is remotely anything like getting gunned down at your workspace for drawing a political cartoon.
Yes, to you it seemed traumatic, but you've never did anything to deserve anything like what the folks at Charlie did, and they DIDN'T deserve it - it was just because some radicals wanted to shut them up.
This is why though, I've told you that you need to be nicer to people in general. Becuase if you tell people who give advice to "fuck off" or "TLDR" or "sum it up for me" you'll be more likely to meet a disgruntled former fan who will likely spray you with water again, or piss off the one person who might not take your attitude and kick your ass when you least expect it.
This is why you treat people with respect.
Did you happen to miss this part?...
But I was expecting some sense of empathy.
I don't know - Sadness, anger, courage. Sad that people who did what they felt as artists died because extremists chose to silence them. Anger that there are people who choose to go out an snuff out the lives of creators simply because of their beliefs. Courage to let these people know that we as creators won't be silenced by fear.
Stuff other artists and creators are advocating right now on social media - that they put their hearts together to make a stand not just their own personal ideals.
Instead of that, instead of empathy towards the victims' families who have to deal with the loss of their loved ones, we have this man who chose to take this tragedy, and compare it to being sprayed at a con by an immature jerk. A 30+ year old man, who really should be mature about situations like that, says he's traumatized by a kid spritzing him with water - he thinks that it was as bad as cartoonists being gunned down at their workplace, and fears that he might be next?
He's taking this whole thing and making it be all about him.
Personal or not, sometimes you have to remember that the world does not revolve around you, and that other people exist. I've told him before that if he responds to people rudely, he's going to expect people to get mad (comments.deviantart.com/4/1089…) and eventually he'll do it to the one person who isn't going to take it lying down.
You've completely glossed over what I wrote to attack me on points I said I wasn't going to talk about. You're the one in the wrong here.
You specified that it was personal - that it was about how the events impacted YOU and then you compared this tragedy to being spritzed in the face with water. Afraid that next time it could be worse - which given everything about you, will never happen. But that's not exactly what your fans are all talking about.
And because of that, I'm literally shocked that these people don't see this. THEY are TALKING about it - the comments on this journal are talking about the stuff you don't want to focus on: THE ACTUAL TRAGEDY.
If what I'm talking about - About how you don't care about supporting the friends and families of the victims, about how we as creators should not back down from terrorists because we wish to express what we wish to, about how being spritzed in the face for being a rude artist does not mean anything in comparison to having terrorists gun down your workplace because you draw cartoons...
... Then maybe yes, I am in the wrong. Because it definitely isn't right.
2. Not talking about the deaths of people in a tragedy does not mean I am unsympathetic towards their families and loved ones.
It was not the first time that the newspaper staff depicted Mohammad, and my country fellows was not sure if they should approve Charlie Hebdo's audacity. It is true that they caricatured many other personalities, from politicians to Jesus Christ himself. As for Mohammad, it was more a way to mock muslim fanatics than to mock Islam itself. But in a way, the simple fact that Charlie Hebdo depicted him was an insult to basic Islam's rules. So once again, it leads to the usual question: to what extent can we tolerate rules that have been set by a given culture?
French or not, satirical or not, those persons simply worked as a newspaper staff, and didn't want to provoke the entire Muslim Community. I'm glad to see that most of the entire international community (and non-radical Muslims) unwaveringly disapprove of this slaughter, which has been a disproportionate response to the simple fact that those persons only used a caricature to remind fanatics about how ridiculous their reasoning is. Sure, they were provoking fanatics (and undirectly moderate muslims at the same time) and maybe those cartoonists were wrong to do so. I personally don't know if they should have. But most of us agree that they absolutely did not deserve death.
More important, I'm glad to see that most of the international community and my own non-Muslims country fellows do not want to seek revenge on Muslims. We are very numerous to know that the fanatics' deeds is not a message from Islam, but from a single community whose level of intolerance has dramatically soared.
My country fellows are afraid of the consequences. Especially about the French far right-wingers' reaction ("Front National"). You see, the number of religious rules that should be tolerated within our society has been a matter of debate for a long time:
- Religious symbols in public utilities? (Christian cross; Jewish kippah...)
- Types of Muslim veil tolerated in the streets? (burqa...)
- Hallal meat?
I have the feeling that Islamophobia is getting worse, which would exactly lead to what the terrorists want: proving that the so-called "Occidental" societies are an illusion of freedom and tolerance. That would be another argument for them to go to Djihad... and another war.
Whatever it be, I personally thank you, Tom Preston, for sharing your opinion. Not only because you try to make people realize about the gravity of the slaughter in Charlie Hebdo and their possible consequences. But also because you shared a part of your life, which proves how brutal people can react to the simple fact that you expressed you political opinions.
We have all learned an important lesson here. Even if we are convinced that our way of thinking is the best, there is no reason that enforces us to resort to such violence to express our disappointment toward a contrary way of thinking. The least we can do is asking for a calm debate to share our points of views. That what they do at the University of Waterloo (Canada): students from different religious communities debate about their respective rules. And it seems to work!