Sand Sculpter: Sudarshan Patnaik
Beach Festival in Orissa, India

http://www.attrition.org/gallery/politics/bin_laden/tn/sand_castle.jpg.html 

Lets Nuke these sick Bast#@$%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

So this is not a "postup" or cut and paste job! Then in that case, find them all and tar and feather the bastards!

Sick people no matter what race, color, creed, etc!!!

Charlie

Could have been a memorial with positive intentions as well -- there have been more pictures, T-shirts and sculptures of 9-11 on Ebay and offered by retailers than I can count.

Since there is no article describing the context, I am assuming the presence of turbans and dark skin is the big difference to some of us... Is that correct? If not why not raging response to all the other "art?"

Or are we just calling for a nuclear bombing of all non-caucasian artists who depict that horrific event, on the basis of our unsubtantiated assumptions?

Just mho,

Mike Gardner (iquester)

btw: I am a believer in the current appropriate military response to terrorism and the theory of a just war, if unavaoidable, in case someone wants to cast aspersions on my politics.

iquester,
I agree with your comment that it could be a memorial with honorable intentions.

I am also a believer in the current appropriate military response being an 8 year veteran of the USMC and desert storm!

Mike,

Thanks for your posts. I was reading the previous posts and seriously thinking about abandoning Cbid for good. Who knows what this is supposed to mean? Intention means everything. And, for anyone who knows anything about Indian politics, there is NO love for Muslims, so the assumptions about intent are as ignorant as they are racist.

I looked at the stamp Mag posted, and thought that, without the american flag in the background, that could easily have been a stamp made by al-quaeda. The line between offensive and memorial is in the details of intent. I hope everyone who made assumptions does some soul-searching about their response.

Further, the responses (assuming they were serious, and not just blowing off steam) show how thin our belief in freedom of expression can be. Applies only to us?

John

John

I didnt notice that these people may be Hindu's. I do know that there is no love lost between Muslims & Hindu's.

To me the color of ones skin makes no difference. I live in the bay area where there are all races working together everyday. Some of my best customers are middle eastern folks and Hindu's.

If this is a tribute to the men & women who lost their lives, then I'm sorry. If is a celebration of the event on 9-11, then it is sick. They all could be any color or race, it doesnt matter to me.

I just dont want to be lumped in, with what may be considered racists comments. That wasnt my intention.

Hope this clarifies my position.

Mag

Just wanted to restate my previous post!

Anger makes people see less clearly. I'm sure all people on this post would agree, but we must not go blind! Hey, I've been guilty...octo

I find it very interesting that so many think this sand sculpture is offensive. Yet on a different picture thread of a stamp picturing the buildings smoking many people think its a great stamp.

I'm just curious what makes one patriotic and the other sick and twisted. Can some of you who have posted on this and the other thread clarify?

excellent question...

CJBULLY,
It never crossed my mind that you ment anything derrogatory by it.

plabonte, You must be kidding right?

Its obvious that at least some here, including myself, looked at this as a group of people celebrating the tradgedy! It may or may not be correct. Thats why I decided to clarify my position.

The stamp is obviously a tribute to those who died, and the families of them. That is for sure!

One picture isnt clear but the other is very clear as to the meaning.

Mag

Rick I know you are out there! Why dont you tell us what its supposed to mean since you posted it!

Mag

Magnafide, I am not kidding at all. I'm genuinely curious. And your statement does make sense and I thank you for your clarification.

However, I'm still not sure why one is a tribute and one is "Celebrating". I don't see anyone in the picture cheering, or making gestures, or anything. They are just standing calmly. And again we don't know the intent of the sculpture. Perhaps the people lost some loved ones and it is a memorial (assuming that the picture isn't a fake, which it is).

Had the picture been of a bunch of white people I wonder if the reaction posted by some would have been the same. Just something to think about.

plabonte, to be honest I dont know what the reaction would have been by others.

I know that if its a celebration of the tradgedy, then I dont care what race, color or religion they are. Its just wrong.

If we could get a clear understanding of what the sand sculpture represents, then all of us could give clearer and more accurate opinions.

Until that happens its hard to compare the two.

Mag

I think Rick is sitting back right now with a cigar reading all of the responses to his post with intrigue! With his hook, line and sinker post, he is able to read and study a lot about how all of us respond and our beliefs and true feelings!

Mag,

Of course I wasn't lumping you in with any racists. Your taste in cigars is too good for you to have such attitudes, frankly. Now, a communist, what with the Cubans and all that, well, that's another story...ha ha.

My point was that the imagery in the stamp and in this sand castle are the same. But people took this sand castle to be an affront to morality. Why? The presuppositions probably came from assumptions about them because of their skin color. That doesn't mean that people who make such an assumption are KKK members.

However, it should provoke some introspection, asking one's self the question "why did I assume that?" I mean, damn, with all the racially provocative images since 9/11, this assumption is practically drilled into us. We can't overcome this assumption, whose consequences (even if not intent) are racist (punishing a race of people because of that alone, not because of anything they've done), unless we are honest about quick associations and judgments we make. And it is OK to acknowledge that. Seriously, we only become better people when we recognize a slip, a fault, and then work to overcome that. That shows character, after all, when we admit that we made a bad assumption and work to prevent it from happening again.

That's a long post. Sorry 'bout that. But this stuff is important.

My 2cents.

John

Todog

in fishing terms, i believe it is called chumming.

Rick, Im not much of a fisherman but it was fun watching everyone take the bait! You have an amazing talent for stimulating conversation here at CB!

Rick, go light up a Bad Frog and enjoy!

Racist or not, this is not what I would call people "mourning" the events of 9/11! Sorry!

Site them in with a GPS!

Charlie