To the editor:

My letter is in response to Ken Bubb’s “Hidden agenda” letter in the Feb. 8 Journal-World.

After reading Mr. Bubb’s letter, I found what he had to say contradictory and void of educated and enlightened thought. He states that he would find the caricatures acceptable in a museum “displayed as art,” yet unacceptable for print in a newspaper. Freedom of expression and freedom of speech and press go hand-in-hand in a democratic society. One cannot exist without the other in a free society.

Mr. Bubb also takes the position that the press is using these freedoms to cover up the “real intent” behind the caricatures. It is my opinion that the violent protests in the past few days have less to do about the caricatures themselves than with radical Muslim ideology stirring up the masses for their own agendas.

Last, he seems to be agreeing that violence is an acceptable reaction to “a public degradation” of one’s religion. It was his response that “every religion has its followers” who would do the same. It is this belief – that if someone disagrees with your religious philosophies then any action taken to defend the principles of your religion is acceptable – that has created the Osama bin Ladens and the Hitlers of the world. Both these men have used religion to justify their actions and commit acts of murder.

So, Mr. Bubb, I respect your right to exercise your voice in the local newspaper and yet I respectfully disagree. No broken glass, no burning buildings, no bloodied hands. Just an exchange of thoughts and opinions that we both exchange freely.

April Lemon,

Lawrence