It was the act of 12 cartoonists which started the protest which resulted in both death and injury and erupted into the conflict between practicing freedom of speech and respecting a religion.

Political cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad started in Denmark. Since when do people care what happens in Denmark? When was the last time someone heard, “Hey, did you hear what happened in Denmark yesterday?” I don’t think I ever have. But now, everybody knows.

Cartoons were also published in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, Jordan, and Fiji, as well as the United States.

An example of one of the cartoons is of the Prophet Mohammed with his face in his hands saying, “It’s hard to be loved by fools.” Another shows the Prophet with a bomb for a turban.

What defense do the cartoonists and newspapers have for printing something that would enrage so many people? Freedom of speech.

This defense seems a little hypocritical.

Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, was arrested before the State of the Union address. Why? For wearing a t-shirt that states, “2245 dead. How many more?” She was not being disruptive; she was invited to the address by the California Representative. So that excuse is relatively useless, from my perspective.

People are dying and being injured because of cartoons. Now, because of Mohammad cartoons, there is a contest for the best Holocaust cartoon in Iran. Excuse me, when did the world turn into a second grade classroom?