Entitlement Culture

I read the news of the consulate attacks in Benghazi and immediately felt a low-key outrage, if such a thing exists. I felt a superior frustration with the ignorance that would motivate such an act against people who are innocent of causing offense.

What we seem to know is that a guy in California made some YouTube video that was offensive to Muslims. In retaliation, Libyan hardliners attacked the US consulate and killed or injured a number of people who were definitely not YouTubers from California. My initial thought was: What a short memory they have. Didn't the U.S. and many countries in Europe just drop millions of dollars to topple their oppressive regime and assist in their happy little rebellion?

But, I stopped myself from getting all too high and mighty. What if these "activists" have a good point? What if we evil Americans are really doing long-term psychological damage to them by drawing cartoons or mocking their pedophile prophet? I bet you Allah's ability to smite the wicked is diminished every time I snicker at a funny post on r/atheism.

I don't have a problem with people taking offense. I'm offended by things all the time. People have that right. What you don't have is the right to rectify your offense through violence. That is not something you are entitled to, no matter what your sheep-herder-written book might say.

We are not, none of us, as entitled as we think we are. People will do things that we don't like. When we don't differentiate between those things that offend us and those things that actually harm us, we are making the world a less-safe place. Don't expect me to have respect for your "religion of peace" when you're acting like the bronze-age tribesmen you idolize.