Excellent article.  Thank you.

So what's your suggestion? Altering the 1st Amendment to prohibit ridiculing religions?

Also, you contradict yourself by saying the blame rests "squarely" with the murderers, but then go on to criticize the production of the video itself as being partly responsible.

By your logic, Farah, the fascists who rule Iran should be held accountable for the murder of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the death of innocent Israeli civilians.  After all, Ahmadinejad and the ayotollahs are constantly inciting violence against the "Jews and Crusaders."

The right to free speech does not mean the right to be held unaccountable for what you say. I'm not saying that making the video should be illegal or that we should always kowtow to the whims of fundamentalist zealotry, but the filmmakers knew their actions would incite violence and proceeded anyways. They provoked this and they do share the blame. They have blood on their hands and should live the rest of their lives knowing they are responsible for the deaths of four great Americans who died serving their country. How much would you bet that not one of them shows up at any of the funerals? Cowards.

So let me get this straight - a diplomat inside the embassy tried to calm things down so that more people would not be killed and Romney thinks that is political fodder? Does he WANT more Americans to be killed? Some of the posters below also seem to want more Americans killed if you follow their logic to it's conclusion.

These filmmakers were not fighting for a just cause. They were lobbing grenades of intolerance and bigotry over the massive shield provided them by the United States foreign service and military. It's one thing for them to make a film espousing their views on Islam - however disturbed those views might be - but it's entirely a different issue that they did so with the hope of inciting violence. Especially that they did so from a position knowing that they were safe from any fear of harm. Truly reprehensible.

It is uneducated masses, plus, "holy men" who who take advantage of this for their own selfish interests.  It really is as simple as that.

Because Obama coddles the "religion of peace"....

I'm not particularly religious...but I do recall that the super moonbats were emphatic that some degenerate could have a Jesus or Mary covered in urine.  (you see, when you attack catholics, christians or jews - its called free speech).

But you must not offended the muslim.  Even after they tried once and then eventually took down the twin towers...

Disgusting.

Because Obama coddles the "religion of peace"....

I'm not particularly religious...but I do recall that the super moonbats were emphatic that some degenerate could have a Jesus or Mary covered in urine.  (you see, when you attack catholics, christians or jews - its called free speech).

But you must not offended the muslim.  Even after they tried once and then eventually took down the twin towers...

Disgusting.

Ms. Stockman should be more careful with her phraseology. American-made conveys a very different meaning than made by an American.

This quote from the James Joyner summarizes my feelings

“In point of fact, making a movie commenting on the sexual proclivities of someone who died some fourteen hundred years ago in no way constitutes ‘incitement’ under any meaningful use of the term.”

We have a first amendment- you would probably be the first to defend the various nasty ways Christian and Jewish faiths have been portrayed in movies,  books and by heads of state. The only people who are wrong are the murders,  protestors and the

Egyptian State department worker and by extension the Obama administration.

IT IS SIMPLE!  The holy men take advantage of the ignorant uneducated.  They use "their" people to accomplish political goals.  It is hypocracy of the highest order.  Using a "holy man of peace" as an excuse to kill folks.  Nothing more.

I believe the White House was first to respond to the statement made by the USEmbassy in Egypt, distancing itself from the embassy statement.  Adopting curbs to our freedom of speech?  A very slippery slope.  Having our dead us patriots paraded in photos and video is a sad and unsettling day or our country.

Another premature column, drawing unwarranted conclusions based on premature speculation. It's becoming apparent that the attack in Libya had little or nothing to do with the movie. Instead it was a small al-Qaeda group and planned in advance.

In the words of Gilda Radner, "Never mind..."

Fact check: Please stop saying that Bacile was an Israeli/Jewish. Over the past 24 hours several reporters have done rigorous work to dispel this lie. It is irresponsible and deeply harmful to continue perpetuating it: See: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/sam-bacile-israeli-jew-may-actually-be-nakoula-basseley-nakoula-coptic-christian/262316/

You aren't too bright.  How did you get a job in our government?  Never mind.  It's called "free speech".  If Islamic terrorist murderers can't handle cartoons and videos, then they can't handle life on earth with other humans and they need to be exterminated!  You are exactly the type of murderer-apologist Democrat this country needs to get rid of!