Coexist Bumper Sticker

When Charlie Sykes posted Tom McMahon's provocative parody of the simplistic "Coexist" bumper sticker on his WMTJ-hosted blog, it riled the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee.

In a letter to the station, the Interfaith Conference deemed the mock sticker to be offensive and inappropriate to have on the website. The Interfaith Conference requested that WTMJ remove the post.

Sykes responded. He said, "No."

Good answer.

McMahon's version of the sticker doesn't promote hate.

I interpret it as doing the exact opposite. It highlights the danger of allowing evil to go unchecked. The Interfaith Conference's interpretation completely misses the altered sticker's meaning.

Moreover, the outrage of the Interfaith Conference is misguided. The mock sticker isn't a threat to peace. Radicals who have hijacked Islam and the millions of followers who support the Islamic fascist movement and its terrorism are the true threat.

Rather than calling for the censoring of Sykes for sharing McMahon's expression, the community would be better served if the Interfaith Conference spoke out against the real threats to peace.

Hint: It's not the photo-shop version of the "Coexist" bumper sticker.

Morally, there can be no coexistence with evil and totalitarianism. That's the point.


The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees that Americans have the right to free speech. It doesn't guarantee that Americans have the right to go through life without being offended.

So, Interfaith Conference, DEAL WITH IT.