May 18^th

You might remember the cartoon contest is Garland Texas where Pamela Geller was exercising her free speech rights by sponsoring a contest certain to infuriate Muslims. It did that of course, just as planned, although no great intelligence was required in the planning. Two Muslim fanatics made a road trip all the way from Phoenix to Garland, Texas to avenge this insult to the Prophet. Geller had provided ample protection for this event which implies that she expected the fireworks that resulted when both Muslims were killed as they opened fire trying to get into the venue. We do not know where Ms. Geller was at this point. I would guess that wherever it was she was well protected.

Then came the comments: Greta Van Susteren of Fox news fame chastised Geller, not for provoking mayhem, but for endangering the police whose business it was to protect the public in such situations. Van Susteren was right of course but true to Fox news tradition her concern seemed to stop with the safety of the police. Ordinary humans could look out for themselves.

Geller has a history of harassing Muslims and tries mightily to persuade herself, and anyone else who will listen, that she is just exercising her “free speech rights.” She has now become sufficiently provocative that she is banned from visiting England.  Geller will exercise her free speech rights no matter who dies.

Now shift gears to another Texas venue a few weeks later. A chain restaurant manager invites three biker gangs to come visit. The restaurant is Twin Peaks and the venue is Waco, Texas. The gangs accept this invitation; they had to accept or lose face and self-respect. The result was a shootout in the restaurant parking lot that left eight bikers dead. When police were asked why they didn’t stop what everyone knew would happen, they said that the restaurant manager had invited the gangs and it was his right to do that. Of course it was also the gang members right to show up with guns, this was Texas you know.

So what did Twin Peaks’ manager gain by this? Well, he got the restaurant’s name in the national press and he got eight dead men in his parking lot. Apparently, like Geller, he didn’t give a damn about who would get killed as a result of his action, he and Geller wanted publicity and they got it.

Perhaps in the next couple of months we’ll have another similar episode. I’m constantly amazed that anthropologists call us homo sapiens.