Pamela Geller Patriot or Trouble Maker?
All you need to know:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/pamela-geller
Liberals and Conservatives agree about her.
In February 2012, she had to fight to get a spot at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., presumably because she had become an embarrassment. Infuriated and defiant, she said that CPAC’s “puppet-master” leaders had “abandoned conservative principles,” while ignoring the threat posed by Islamic extremism. And in June, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, bowing to a growing chorus of criticism, canceled a planned lecture by Geller just hours before it was to be delivered. Geller reacted to this new slight by making references to the Holocaust: “Jewish leadership is on the trains and thinks we will go quietly.”
Geller was one of several prominent anti-Muslim activists cited by the Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik in the manifesto he posted online hours before killing 77 of his countrymen, mostly teenagers, at a left-wing youth camp in August 2011.
My personal .02-
Shared an apartment with her younger sister in late 1980s. Pam was described as an attention seeker who would do most anything to get it.
AJC-what ISIS attack 
(Yes, I know, I am feeding the troll)
I wouldn't mess with someone who can bend spoons telepathically...oh, wait. That's Uri Geller. Never mind. As you were.
ajc,
Why are you defending a religious bigot?
She is just prejudiced against Muslims. She peddles hatred and divisiveness.
What would you say about someone who attacked Jews or Catholics or Mormons?
Free Speech? She held a contest as to who could produce the best art making fun of Islam. What would you say about someone who held a contest for the best cartoon stereotypes of Jews or for "artwork" about Catholic Priest's abuse of children?
"AJC-what ISIS attack "
In this case, its been widely reported that the attack against her was ordered by ISIS, and carried out by ISIS operatives here in America. It has also been reposted that there are ISIS cells in all 50 states. and maybe even in the other eight states Obama created. As for defending her, it's more about defending her right to do what she does. This is why I feel she is a patriot. Agreed, it's a dirty job defending the Constitution.
I'm not always great at making analogies, but is the Liberal fight for abortion and gay marriage rights that much different than the Conservative fight for our First and Second Amendment rights? Regardless about what we feel about her, at the end of the day, the good news is she flushed out two radicals, and we were lucky enough to avoid another Paris like massacre here in the states.
I don't think anyone denies that she had the right to do what she did. There are plenty of incredibly moronic things that are well with your rights to do.And others are perfectly within their same First Amendment rights to call you a stupid f*** for doing them.
"You don't have to fight for rights you already have."
But Dave, you do have to fight to retain them; and I believe this is what she is doing. It follows the reality of, Use it or lose it....
Art, I'm sure you're just as quick to defend the rights of an artist who depicts Jesus being defecated upon, right? I mean, they're clearly patriots who are just making sure we all maintain our a first Amendment rights, correct?
ajc and anyone else who thinks Ms. Geller is a patriot defending free speech, go to Google and type in "obscene pictures of Jesus" and decide if you would define all of these as patriotic. Please be serious about this. A picture of Jesus with an erection. Is that OK? How about a photo of a young man mounting a statue of Jesus? How about any of the others? Free speech is one thing and where that line is drawn is always shifting but I would think that making fun of religious figures is simply confusing two issues: free speech and patriotism and Geller has successfully confused them in ajc's mind, and perhaps a few others' minds as well.
Personally, I am not in favor of any religion. I leave everyone alone who has a religious belief and I do not go out of my way to attack the bases of religion. I hardly think it is patriotic to attack any religion and our battles in the Middle East are less to do with anything approaching a real religion as it does with raw political and military and ethnic power. Even the huge battles between Shia and Sunni in the Middle East are fomented by the willingness of the mullahs to continue to foment their followers so that they maintain political, social and military power. Each side represses the other and their battles over the centuries remind me of the never-ending ethnic and religious rivalries in the Balkans. Whatever the reasons for splits centuries ago are lost in the mists of time and each generations leaders create new reasons for ongoing hatreds.
If anyone has spent time in the South there are still a lot of people who are still fighting the Civil War all the time being protected by the US Military, getting Social Security and Disability, Medicare, being protected against age and race discrimination, getting funds to improve highways and bridges and harbors, living with cleaner air and water, having better health care and better food, enjoying the fruits of a technical society made possible by massive federal spending on technology that led to the digital revolution (yes the Military, not Silicon Valley).
There are these deep divides in many societies and we have them here -- far-right wing types (as in Texas thinking a Military exercise was to lead to a takeover of Texas and imposition of martial law -- really, even the Governor though that) -- and Geller is helping making the divides deeper, pretending she is not anti-Muslim while encouraging anyone and everyone to make a picture no matter how obscene of Muhammed, I look forward to her next session when she has a drawing contest on Jesus. Hey, we did fight Christian nations not too long ago -- Germany and Italy -- and just celebrated VE Day yesterday. How about pictures of the Pope? Some Fundamentalist groups think Catholics aren't Christian! Well, sounds like Sunni and Shia to me, but I could be wrong.
Does ISIS have a real network here or a bunch of wannabes? We have always had a bunch of weirdos walking around in Nazi uniforms. Are they part of the long gone German Nazi Party fomenting a world fascist revolution? Nope. Simply deluded weirdos who want to hate and kill. Wearing a uniform makes them feel important and, I suspect, with the ISIS wannabes in the US the same thing applies. When we actually find a serious network we can take action on them and we should expect that kind of action. But calling Geller a patriot is simply plain awful. No patriotism, just a self-centered clown who thinks she is a patriot.
Particleman, in a manner of speaking, I guess they are patriots.
Although I haven't heard of the church or anyone threatening to kill them because of it. FWIW, I love Jesus, and I love the flag, but I wouldn't threaten to kill you because you disrespected them. In many ways, freedom is a two edged sword, and sometimes we have to take a little bad with the good.
Not all Patriots have good manners, or good taste in their wine or their women...;-)
"Hey Jude"
Try and make a sad story better
If you just let her into your heart
Then you can start to make Geller better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You weren't made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you will begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making this world a little colder
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Are the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party patriotic defenders of Freedom of Speech?
My copy of the First Amendment puts Freedom of Religion before Freedom of Speech. Does Ms. Geller support Freedom of Religion for Muslims.
Doesn't anyone know anything about History. Were Joe McCarthy and HUAC liberals or conservatives? The defense of Freedom of Speech has always been more strongly supported on "The Left". Is the ACLU a subdivision of the Republican Party?
Now let me say something really provocative. If someone rented a venue for the purpose of attacking Jews or displaying and celebrating anti-Semitic "art" if some young Jews violently attacked it I would not be very upset.
It's more than a little telling that such a vile person as Geller is thought of as a patriot by anyone.
It is not my intention to end this thread but was Hitler not a German patriot?
Interesting question. Suppose it can easily be argued he started out as one, at least.
Deliberately insulting and degrading other people, to make a name for yourself, is vanity, not patriotism.
Every year the US sends some military ships to the Black Sea just so we establish that it's international waters. Similarly, Geller goes into dangerous waters to establish that drawing whatever we choose is still a right.
MaddieG said:
Pamela Geller is a patriot. Freedom of speech and of the press are foundations of America. If we no longer have that right, whether due to government decree of private threats of violence, it's no longer the America we know an love. She is one of the few who is bold enough to challenge those who challenge our right to speak.
Every year the US sends some military ships to the Black Sea just so we establish that it's international waters. Similarly, Geller goes into dangerous waters to establish that drawing whatever we choose is still a right.
Ms. Geller is not the hero. The people who stand for real free speech are the heroes. She is a bigot, who tries to silence those who she hates.
Who in America has been arrested for speaking?
The ACLU has been fighting for Free Speech for almost 100 years. Do we really need a bigot as its champion. If someone made a speech in support of ISIS would Geller defend their right to do so?
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I'm surprised this topic hasn't found its way to the soapbox. IMHO. Pamela should be defended as a patriot, and a defender of free speech. More importantly, she flushed out the first ISIS attack in America. So what's next? And, how many other ISIS operatives are here ready and waiting for another opportunity to attack, and what excuse will they use next?