those damn cartoons

This is so sad, but so predictable. The cartoons were indeed intended to cause controversy, but did the so called "Arab street" need to take the bait so cartoonishly vociferously? I've stated it before, but Islam is the most chauvanistic (not just male chauvanistic) religion in the world. These hard-liners chanting in the street want us to cowtow to their religious practices whilst spitting upon our flag, the symbol of our beliefs, calling us the great Satan and declaring days of rage. The fact that this controversy has been actually ginned up by the three extra cartoons which some Danish iman had drawn up and which are pretty offensive and not the first twelve shows the irrationality of these people. The world's greatest lampoonist could not have invisioned a more delicious irony of people violently protesting their image as being violent.
All that being said, I don't like mocking other's people religion. I don't think there should EVER, EVER be a law against blasphemy or hate speech or mocking a group or religion (or really any sort of blocking of ideas, no matter how repugnant), but that doesn't mean that it is a proper thing to do. The cartoons were meant to illustrate the intolerant aspect of Islam towards freedom of expression, and, well, could they have been any more spot on? I support the thought, but feel they could have found another avenue. They went straight to the nerve center, so they win points for gumption, not for subtlety. I fully support the Danes in their principled stand, I just feel it was a tad impolite. However, ours was a society built upon the notion of having to deal with man's unceasing loutishness (see George Galloway, Cindy Sheehan, etc.) in a civilized manner. Those burning flags aren't civilized and being polite to them really isn't warranted.
One final note, I should have invested in flag manufactorers a few years back. Is there any better way to make a profit than to make your customer willfully burn your product? Just like cigarettes and, apparently, more addictive. I guess the Europeans aren't getting that warm, smug feeling they enjoy so well when it isn't the stars and stripes or the star of David being burned.