A missed chance to teach a lesson�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: ". Scott McClellan, the spokesman for President Bush, attempted a lecture yesterday but delivered the wrong rebuke. 'We support and respect the freedom of the press,' he said, 'but there are also important responsibilities that come with that freedom.'
This is wrong, and dangerously wrong. The guarantees of free expression (such as the First Amendment in our own country) include no 'if,' no 'also,' no 'but.' The guarantees do not ordain a 'responsible' press, but a free press. This is what the Muslims, who often show no respect for the beliefs of others, must learn even if they learn it the hard way. Followers of the prophet are entitled to believe that a caricature of the man they revere is wrong. If they believe that, they should neither draw such a caricature nor look upon one drawn by someone else. They have no right to impose that belief on anyone else, Hindu, Christian or Hottentot. This is what Kofi Annan and the bowed heads of Europe and spokesmen for the State Department and the White House, and George W. Bush for all that, should be telling the Muslims. And not forget to duck.
Wesley Pruden is editor in chief of The Times. "
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