Sorry Charlie, I Am Not You

I am NOT Charlie Hebdo:  I don’t purposely try to instigate, offend, humiliate or irritate others. 

If I know that a certain thing I do or say offends my wife, how loving would I be if I do or say the offensive thing every time I see her? 

If I truly “loved my enemy,” would I constantly point out all the negative things about them I don’t like? 

If I am to love my neighbor and treat them as I would like to be treated, would I instigate, offend, humiliate and irritate them?

Freedom brings with it responsibility. 

You have the ‘freedom’ to offend your loved ones, but is it wise, loving or responsible to do so?  Haven’t you caught yourself after you’ve unleashed some unwise words and sentiments?  That remorse and sorrow you felt exists for a reason.  It means that although you may have spoken the truth, the manner in which you unleashed your truth may have done more harm than good. 

I was looking through the images that Charlie Hebdo produces and I wish I hadn’t.  They have the right and freedom to do it, and I have the right and freedom to call it as I see it to be; depraved. 

The freedom some have in expressing themselves exists so they and their issues can be identified.  How else can one define and identify what depravity is unless the likes of Charlie Hebdo exist?  Also, how else can murderous religious zealots be identified and defined if those perpetrators didn’t exist? 

Me personally; I wish neither existed.  But my personal responsibility is to not forward hate in any form ( whether in cartoons or through religious rhetoric ).

There is a proper and loving way to show others their faults without instigating, offending, humiliating or irritating them.