Je Suis Pamela?

The whole Pam Geller controversy is tiresome. I don't care if she is the most awful person in the world. We have the right to insult Islam just as so many exercise the right to insult Christianity, Judaism, and Mormonism (and so much more).

And no, the idea that such insults incite violence in response is no reason to stop exercising the freedom to insult violence-prone jihadi nutballs even if the vast majority of Moslems are also insulted or unhappy with the insults. Welcome to the club.

Yes, in a perfect world, I'd say that it simply isn't polite to go out of the way to insult Islam.

But we aren't there yet, are we? Until the right to insult Islamic sensibilities as much as the sensibilities of others who are routinely insulted is firmly defended, we can't afford to go to the next step of arguing for civility and common decency and politeness.

I look forward to the day when the debate really can be about whether Pam Geller is an awful person for doing what she does.

And when what she does doesn't prompt violent responses by self-selected defenders of Islam, we'll be at that day. So Geller herself just isn't the issue right now.