A Speech You Won't Hear

Instead of talking about the respect due to the prophet in the face of fanatical responses to a film, it would be nice if Obama felt enough love of his country and its traditions to say something like this:  ”Freedom of speech is our birthright.  No foreigner will take it away from my people.  You can order your affairs however you wish, but we will not bow down before your threats and demands and uncivilized riots.  Your ways are not our ways and never will be.  I have no comment on this film because it’s not my place or the place of any American President to tell Americans what they can and can’t believe, can and can’t publish, and can and can’t say.  We can have faith and also insult the faith of others as we wish. These rights are inseparable and part of our heritage of freedom.  Of course, the vast majority of Americans are generally respectful of other faiths.  This tolerance is also an American tradition.  We are a religious people, on the whole, and also a generous and decent people.  But we are first and foremost a freedom-loving people.  The Islamic World and, indeed, the whole world would benefit by following our example.  It is not my business to police my people’s exercise of their rights, and I advise all of you to mind your business, respect our citizens, and not dare to molest our nation’s embassies.  Do not mistake our tolerance for weakness.  We are committed to our freedoms, and we will bow down before no one in that commitment.”