Source: Los Angeles Times
On February 3, 2006 the Los Angeles Times ran an editorial that commented, "The cartoons are undeniably offensive to Muslims. Yet the overreaction by opportunistic, authoritarian governments and backpedaling European officials has been deeply disappointing... What's most disheartening is the response from governments in the Middle East and Europe. The former have seized on the opportunity to direct their citizens' considerable anger toward the West. Some European leaders, meanwhile, perhaps overcompensating for government policies widely seen as harmful to Muslim immigrants, are apologizing for one of the core freedoms of a democratic society.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who for months maintained a sensible position � that a private newspaper's editorial judgment is not the government's business � is now walking around issuing letters of regret. Norway's deputy foreign minister, Raymond Johansen, traveled to Lebanon to deliver an official apology.
Such sentiments foster the dangerous notion that governments are responsible for, and answerable to, their countries' private media. And it judges all news content, satirical or otherwise, by the standard of how much offense it gives, a surefire path toward self-censorship.
The right to take offense ends well before the right not to be kidnapped, or not to be singled out for violence because of nationality, or not to have freedom of expression curtailed. For our part, The Times has not reprinted these insensitive images, even as a means of shedding light on the controversy in Europe. But it is not necessary to agree with these cartoons to defend another's right to publish them."