What about the right not to be bullied into compliance with someone else's "rules" -- bullied by threats of murder? So some fanatical Christians describe doctors who work in abortion clinics as "murderers" and actively promote lethal violence against them. I think only one doctor has thus far been killed, but that murder (along with posted "death lists") has had an understandably chilling effect on the availability of abortion throughout much of America. So after the two very public murders (BEFORE the Danish cartoons) of Dutch artists who dared to break the rules of the Koran, European artists are, to say the least, intimidated. And not just artists -- the list of people who are said to be "in hiding" because they have offended radical Islam includes, I am told, moderate Muslim leaders themselves. And of course governments are intimidated, not to mentions editors. After all, who wants to be a target for murder (or simply for mob violence)?

I don't have an answer -- what's happening is truly scary -- but I remember how a small (Southern?) town a few years stood up to the violent bullying tactics of a hate group that started trashing Jewish homes. The town residents all decided to display the menorah in solidarity with the targeted Jewish residents, i.e. to broaden the target to include everyone. No, it's not a perfect analogy -- I'm not keen on throwing more fuel on the fire -- but I am distressed to see murder and threats of murder achieving their goal. . . .