The Murderer's Veto

The crazies in Afghanistan are rampaging again today and using the excuse of a Florida Koran burning to justify their murderous rampage.  The nutty Florida pastor Terry Jones told ABC News that he's not responsible for the violence...and he's right.  He's not.  A book burned in Florida does not justify a rampaging mob in Afghanistan.

James Joyner makes a good point about the book burning and its aftermath:

Should Jones have burned the Koran? No. But not because doing so might incite some evil people halfway around the world to commit atrocities against innocents. Rather, he shouldn’t have done it was needlessly hurtful without adding any value to the debate. Indeed, aside from generating publicity for himself, he’s likely generated sympathy for Islam and disdain for churches of his ilk.

But Jones is not the slightest bit culpable for the actions of others. Yes, he was warned that violence might ensue. But we’re not responsible for the evil, illegal actions others might take in response to our freely expressing our thoughts. Even if they’re ill-informed, half baked, bigoted thoughts. If we allow the possible reaction of the most dogmatic, evil people who might hear the message to govern our expression, we don’t have freedom at all. It’s worse than a heckler’s veto; it’s a murderer’s veto.

Jones' excuse for the book burning was to show that there's a radical, violent element in Islam, but we already knew that. Any number of terror attacks during the last 20 years have more than proven that point, so burning a Koran did not further enlighten anyone to the dangers of radical Islam. And look at this report from UN Dispatch:

Local clerics drove around the city with megaphones yesterday, calling residents to protest the actions of a small group of attention-seeking, bigoted Americans. Then, during today’s protest, someone announced that not just one, but hundreds of Korans had been burned in America. A throng of enraged men rushed the gates of the UN compound, determined to draw blood.

There is an element of radical Islam that wants violence and will use any excuse to justify it.

However, this action has proven to be somewhat valuable in that it once again reminds us that many on the left are unable to identify evil and place blame where it truly belongs.

Jim Treacher makes a good point:

The President of the United States bombs a Muslim country, and some nobody in Florida burns a Koran. Guess which one’s to blame for rioting in Afghanistan?