We cats refrained from writing about Kirby Delauter, the Maryland jackass who threatened the Frederick News-Post with legal action for mentioning him in a story. What, we wondered, could we possibly say that hadn't already been said?
But we love Kirby Delauter's name so much that we were hoping to have another opportunity to write about him after the original Kirby Delauter dust settled. And, what do you know? The chance was just dumped in our furry laps!
That's because today's news made us realize that there are lots and lots of people out there who don't understand freedom of the press.
Kirby Delauter doesn't realize that as an elected official, his name, image, positions, actions and utterances (or lack thereof) no longer belong to him. A reporter, blogger, Twitter user, online commenter, Instagram poster, etc., etc., ad nauseum does not need to ask his permission to mention his name.
Similarly, conservative followers of the Prophet Muhammad — who actually sounds like he was an enlightened, tolerant guy — don't understand that journalists, cartoonists, writers, essayists, novelists, bloggers (see above list for Kirby Delauter), etc., need not consider "religious sensitivities" in the materials they write, draw and publish. Even though the Prophet Muhammad is much more famous than Kirby Delauter. In fact, because he is.
We cats were thinking this through and wondered what would be a relevant example in our Democratic feline world. Well, we loathe and despise Rush Limbaugh, but we don't campaign to have him taken off the air. We think James O'Keefe is a cretin and a creep, but we don't wait outside his apartment with an AK-47. We're repulsed by Jerome Corsi, but he has every right to publish his silly, paranoid books.
In short, Kirby Delauter and religious fundamentalists: If a newspaper, magazine, TV show, novel, movie or book upsets you, you can't try to stop it. Just don't buy it, watch it, read it, go see it, or have it anywhere near you. Why is that so hard?
(Okay, so Kirby Delauter threatening legal action against his local newspaper is not quite in the same league as shooting up a roomful of journalists. But it's still violence — just a different kind.)
We suggest that Kirby Delauter refresh himself on the Constitution — and that everyone who says they are not Charlie stop sweating it and take a tip from the Quran: "Do not sit with them." We cats PURR.
(IMAGE: The New Yorker's wonderful cover.)
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