Terrorist T-Shirts

Originally posted by orderedchaos
It would be blown out of proportion. Seriously, how many terrorists generally reveal who they are? Even still, wearing one would be begging for trouble; and trouble they would get.

Just a word... yes. But words have power. If they didn't, there'd be no cause for censorship. (No, I'm not a censorship advocate; as a writer, it'd be the equivalent of endorsing illiteracy).

It boils down to that fine, ever shrinking line between political correctness and free speech. Not to mention the advertising argument tag that undoubtedly would follow. To wear is to advertise, advertise is to endorse, endorse is to agree.

Power a single word can invoke.
Racist
Nazi
Pedophile.

None of those words are illegal, and I'm sure they can be printed on a shirt. A smart person, though, would have to have a gun at their head to wear such things. And some incantations brought fore by words are so negative, the joke halts and the laughing stops.

Some things just shouldn't be joked about. The people who don't know will learn, usually the hard way.

I wholeheartedly agree. It would be taken out of proportion and this IS the point. Humor is often the greatest catalyst to social change. Humor is non-threatening.

In exposing the rampant false sense of fear the wearer of such advertisements are making a statement that allow the perceiver to arrive at a personal conclusion - its funny and harmless or its frightening and threatening. It is a way of drawing the line in the proverbial sand. It could be a unifying force. It is reverse-psychology on the elitist agenda of domination for the victims of their centuries-old campaign to rule and own it all.

And to add this thought, look at your grandmother and imagine she is wearing a NUTJOB or TERRORIST shirt. Are you still afraid? Of course not, because the PERSON dominates the label.

This is all hypothetical.

[edit on 21-9-2009 by Hazelnut]

I agree, people have become overly sensitive, which is why we have politicial correctness at all. By the very wording, politicial correctness should be had by polticians alone. IMO.

But some words and meanings are sensitive because of sensitive issues.

A shirt worn in public reading

Terrorist

would have about the same warm greeting as a shirt reading

Rapist

No warm meaning or actions there, and I couldn't (not even hypothetically) have sympathy for someone who would wear such a thing, nor the sure-to-be violent result.

Inappropriate is inappropriate, regardless of the rationalizations.

Me, personally? I'd rather go back to reading the cartoonish Johnson's tee shirts that read: Liquor in the front, poker in the rear. Dirty beats hate-baiting every time.

Originally posted by orderedchaos
I agree, people have become overly sensitive, which is why we have politicial correctness at all. By the very wording, politicial correctness should be had by polticians alone. IMO.

People have always been overly sensitive.. just in this case, it is under the guise of fear ensuring disrespect and hate of boogymen of another religion that come from a far away country.

Sensitivity surrounding "Political correctness" has almost always been about religion.. same this time. "Terrorists" are Muslim.. you should fear and hate them.

Makes it a lot easier when they are a different religion

reply to post by mikerussellus


My fav in my t-shirt collection: 'When I want to hear your opinion, I'll take my [snip] out of your mouth!'

It's just sillly to judge someone by what their shirt says. Maybe judge their sense of humor, but nothing else... Even the shallowest amongst us are not that shallow as to be summed up by some 'slogan'.

But alas, I'm afraid many would...

Wearing the "terrorist" shirt would probably get you a lot of the same responses I get when I wear a "9/11 was an inside job" shirt. Mostly just dirty looks and snide comments made in passing. That shirt has helped me find a few other like minded people though.

reply to post by Hazelnut


In spirit with this thread, I am going to post a few pictures of t-shirts, that you can order.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/dacf1775f9b3.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/819f2a20e3db.jpg[/atsimg]

Just go to the link for Terrorist T-Shirts, if you really want one.

While I agree with you, Hazelnut, that the word "terror" or "terrorist" is just a word, it is unfortunately a very powerful word, just like "rape", or "abortion" and can be misused.

Politician's also know it is a word with an ambiguous and ambivalent meaning.

Anything can be linked to "terrorism" if the Government is to use it, and they have.

I would draw the line with the one which I found on Terrorist T-Shirt Website.

I think I would much rather have the picture below as a t-shirt, showing the double-standards and hypocrisy of the Washington D.C., Washington As Usual crowd.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5a87f09b6262.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 21-9-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

To some people a T-shirt with Terrorist on it would seem offensive. 10yrs ago you would of got away with it i reckon. I heard of people getting arrested for having offensive T-shirts these days. I guess its ok to have a heavy metal T-Shirt with a hand holding a torn off head though.