National De
bate of the Month- September
Resolved, that YouTube remove the Innocence of Muslims film in the United States.
On September 11th, 2012 a US envoy and three others were killed in an attack
on the American Embassy in Libya. Simultaneously, anti-American protests began to
erupt in Egypt. Since then the protests have spread to nearly 20 other countries in
the Middle East and beyond. This anti-American rage is believed to have stemmed
from a film mocking the Muslim prophet titled, Innocence of Muslims. A 14-minute
trailer was posted for this film in July. However, it did not draw attention until early
September, when a version was dubbed in Arabic and posted on YouTube. When the
protests started to increase as a result of this video, the White House asked Google to
take down this video. Google refused to take down this video, although they later
removed it in Egypt and Libya. Those who believe YouTube should remove the video
argue that it hurts America’s reputation abroad and endangers the American
citizenry. They believe that since it was taken down in Middle Eastern countries, the
same should happen in the United States. Those who believe that the film should stay
on the Internet point out that the video is protected by the First Amendment and that
it does not violate YouTube’s content standards. So, should the Innocence of Muslims
film remain on
DEBATE OCTOBER
OF 2012
THE
MONTH
Resolved, that YouTube
remove the Innocence of
Muslims film in the United
States.
National Debate of the Month - October
Resolved, that YouTube remove the Innocence of Muslims film in the United States.
On September 11th, 2012 a US envoy and three others were killed in an attack
on the American Embassy in Libya. Simultaneously, anti-American protests began to
erupt in Egypt. Since then the protests have spread to nearly 20 other countries in
the Middle East and beyond. This anti-American rage is believed to have stemmed
from a film mocking the Muslim prophet titled, Innocence of Muslims. A 14-minute
trailer was posted for this film in July. However, it did not draw attention until early
September, when a version was dubbed in Arabic and posted on YouTube. When the
protests started to increase as a result of this video, the White House asked Google to
take down this video. Google refused to take down this video, although they later
removed it in Egypt and Libya. Those who believe YouTube should remove the video
argue that it hurts America’s reputation abroad and endangers the American
citizenry. They believe that since it was taken down in Middle Eastern countries, the
same should happen in the United States. Those who believe that the film should stay
on the Internet point out that the video is protected by the First Amendment and that
it does not violate YouTube’s content standards. So, should the Innocence of Muslims
film remain on the Internet or should YouTube remove this in the United States?
Resources about this topic:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/obscure-film-mocking-muslimprophet-sparks-anti-u-s-protests-in-egypt-and-libya/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/world/middleeast/anti-americanprotests-over-film-enter-4th-day.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/14/opinion/york-libya-youtube/index.html
PRO- Resolved, that YouTube remove the Innocence of Muslims film in the
United States.
This side of the debate argues that the Innocence of Muslims film should be taken down
from YouTube. Since it went viral, the video has caused widespread protest and
violence in the Middle East. Four died at the Americans died in Libya, at least twenty
were killed in one day during protests in Pakistan, and protesters in Egypt tore down
the American Flag at the US Embassy. This violence and outrage cannot be
overlooked. Action must be taken to rectify America’s standing abroad. Although
this video might not be responsible for all of the violence, it was certainly a factor in
sparking the anger and anti-American sentiment around the world. Foreigners have
begun to see the messages depicted in this video as the widespread belief in the
United States, which reflects badly on our standing abroad. This film has been taken
down in countries in the Middle East, therefore it should be taken down in the US
before more damage can be done. We cannot change what people have already seen
and heard around the world, but we can take an action that shows that the United
States does not endorse the opinions represented in this video.
PRO side arguments:
 The video hurts America’s standing abroad.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/17/world/film-protests/index.html
 The video should be taken down in attempts to quell violence.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pakistan-protests-turn-violentearly/2012/09/21/119b8456-03c8-11e2-91e72962c74e7738_story.html
 The video is offensive to the religion of Islam.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/themovie-so-offensive-that-egyptians-just-stormed-the-us-embassy-overit/262225/
CON- Resolved, that YouTube remove the Innocence of Muslims film in the United
States.
This side of the debate argues that the Innocence of Muslims should not be removed
from the Internet. This main argument for this side is that if the video were to be
removed, it would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects
freedom of speech and expression. The White House acknowledged this when they
asked for a review, not a removal, of the video by YouTube. This film also does not
violate the content standards of YouTube, therefore it can remain on the website.
This video is a form of artistic expression and although some might not agree with it,
it has ever right to remain accessible to Americans. It is also important for the
citizenry of the United States to be educated and aware about opinions that differ
from their own. Also, the video has been taken down in countries where it has
sparked protests, so it is not necessary to be taken down in the United States.
CON side arguments:
 The film is protected by the First Amendment.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/20/should-youtubehave-taken-down-incendiary-anti-muslim-video.html
 The film is in line with YouTube’s content standards.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/actress-anti-muslimfilm-injunction-17280336#.UF3t9KRYs_4
 The film has been taken down in countries where it has been violent, so there
is no need to take in down in the United States.
http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/youtube-blocks-innocence-ofmuslims-cilps-in-egypt-libya-maintains-elsewhere/