The arguments in this thread are going more smoothly than the last time I waded into this debate, which is a good thing. That's probably because the point of contention has moved from "we as a diverse society should take pause before criticizing what Muslims believe" (which is a radical position) to "this particular contest is legitimately offensive to people" (not so much).
It's also perfectly possible to condemn using violence as a means here or ask for more stringent protection while believing both those statements above. I then wonder why the usual participants seem to ignore this possibility - is it because we're not white?
When it comes to this smaller issue, let's try not to use phrases like
Because, you know, you could just ask a Muslim friend about what offends them.
