Or are we?
There are many good reasons not to burn the Koran - or any other book. Fear of retribution isn't one of them.
The President might have condemned those who have already rioted and killed because someone might burn a Koran. He could have criticized those who killed because of the pictures drawn by a Danish cartoonist. He could have pointed out that most mosque-bombings carried out by Muslim factions against each other probably include burning Korans - and, much more important, killing people. He could have made a point about constitutional rights - as he did when he talked about the proposed mosque near ground zero.
But, instead, President Obama chose to lecture us on tolerance as if it were American intolerance that led to 9/11. In fact, it is our TOLERANCE that Osama bin Laden and his bretheran hate.
Charles Blow wrote in the NYTimes:
"I felt myself grow numb, but I refused to be afraid. My attitude that day was the same as most Americans: the terrorists must not be allowed to win. America would not be cowed. We would rise, our greatness would shine, and our ideas of freedom would remain a beacon to the world."
The pictures came from a powerful video: