Pens and Swords

"The pen is mightier than the sword" goes the saying so dear to believers in democracy.
There's also a wonderfully descriptive American phrase that goes "when push comes to shove". It describes that moment in an argument when physical pushing crosses a borderline and intensifies to become "shoving". . . (that level of intensity just before one side actually hits the other).

So has "push" actually come to "shove"?
Has modern Western civilization actually decided to shove back at last?
To stand up for its cherished principles and beliefs?

Or will the appeasers just follow Bill Clinton's lead, bow their heads to Moslem threats of violence and "apologize" for freedom of the press?


"Appalling... totally outrageous!" said ex President Clinton about the image below.


"This is Art" said then President Clinton.
"Piss Christ": National Endowment for the Arts-funded piece consisting of a photograph of Jesus submerged in a bottle of urine
.

"This is Art!" said then President Clinton.
"Dung Madonna": the Virgin Mary made of balls of elephant dung and cut out pictures of female genitalia shown at the Brooklyn Museum