As noted at the Religion News Service, South Fork Industries is hawking ammunition tipped in “paint infused with pork” for defense against jihadists.  “Jihawg” ammo is:

The only ammunition in the world that provides a peaceful and natural deterrent to radical Islam.

The article’s only real point was to quote an “assistant professor of religious studies” saying the company had an “inaccurate understanding of the Quran.”

It would seem their understanding of the Koran is irrelevant.  Their understanding of capitalism seems to be stellar.

The RNS makes a point of referring to a Facebook comment saying 

Someone needs to smuggle your ammo to U.S. troops in combat in Afghanistan.

Another commenter, “Ted,” said he was “headed toward a 3rd year in Afghanistan” and took issue:

These bullets are like burning a Koran. Or throwing gasoline on a fire. It is counter productive and it shows just how ignorant and dangerous some of my countrymen can be. They make me ashamed.

That Ted seems to value other people’s sensitivities over human liberty is disappointing but not unexpected.  When he says this is dangerous, though, he implies the need for sanction.  After all, when danger is identified, something needs to be done to avert it.  Ted could probably use some reminders about American liberty and the US Constitution.

The human liberty of free speech, protected in America by the US Constitution, gives plenty of opportunities for people to say “ignorant” things.  Where actions are interpreted as speech, it also means people can burn American flags — or religious texts.  Is that “counter productive?” That may depend on what the aim is.  If it is to protect human liberty, then it may actually be productive, as it provides an opportunity to discuss liberty and put into practice the values of tolerance and respect for freedom, even when in disagreement.

With liberty comes a guarantee of offense.  The character of a society is revealed not in the lack of offense, but in how it responds to it.

More to the point, Ted may be right:  These kinds of things may be “counter productive” — at least, to ‘progress’ in Afghanistan.  After all, under the US-protected government rule in Afghanistan, this type of exercise of human liberty would likely be illegal.

Given this kind of talk and the connection to the military, its probably only a matter of time before Michael Weinstein weighs in, claiming the makers of Jihawg are actually Christians secretly trying to take over the world.

In the end, the ammo makers are nothing more than astute entrepeneurs who don’t shy from controversy or offense.

Sounds like just about every other commercial you see on TV these days…

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