The American Spectator

Our rookie president’s reaction to the murder of American diplomats by Islamic fanatics was predictable and dispiriting. His statement on this act of war and fanaticism has neither muscle nor bone. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm could have penned a tougher note.

The 15-minute film that supposedly set off this latest spasm of religion-crazed murder has been on the web for a couple of months, enjoying the obscurity it so richly deserves. It’s beyond sophomoric — sort of a desert “Animal House,” only with worse acting and a nearly incoherent script. “Hee-Haw” was more nuanced. The film shows Mohammad as not only illegitimate and a cruel murderer, but also, to put it mildly, a bit of a lad. Toward the end he is also shown as hen-pecked. This part may be intended to be funny. It’s hard to tell.

Though the film is terrible, Obama’s reaction to it is worse. Showing a total lack of respect for or understanding of American freedom of expression (even stupid and offensive expression) Obama says in his statement: “While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others….” This comes very close to vetoing the First Amendment just because a bunch of murderous fanatics don’t like something some American foul ball has said.

The political left, of which Obama is an aged-in-the-barrel member, has shown itself quick to muzzle speech that offends officially designated (by them) victim groups. This clearly includes radical Muslims, as a toe-curlingly obsequious note from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo demonstrates: “The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslins — as we condemn effort to offend believers of all religions.”

Is that so? All religions? You might not get an “Amen!” from the higher reaches of the Catholic Church in America, which has lately been ordered by the current administration to violate its religious beliefs.

The apologetic note whines on: “Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

The truth is, State Department and Obama administration officials haven’t shown a shred of interest in the religious rights of Christians and Jews. But they trip over themselves to respect the rights of Moslem fanatics to raise hell and kill people because they are scared witless of them and have no idea what to do about them. Obama et al. are willing to throw freedom of speech under the bus (as Canada and most of Europe already have) in a vain and cowardly attempt to mollify a group that is unsatisfiable short of our complete submission to their will.

It’s a sorry sight. But there it is.