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Seriously, Tyro, the rape "defence"? Absurd and actually offensive to me. We mention 9/11 because the event was scheduled to take place that day and because the day should be a day of remembrance of those who lost their lives that day and since then. After the attacks people from all faiths and no faiths came together to condemn those murderous attacks. That unity was splintered in part by right-wing efforts to portray the fight not as one against al Qaeda but against Islam, efforts that were ultimately disavowed by the Pentagon and numerous national security and civil liberties advocates. This is not about "silencing critics"; it's about speaking out against religious hatred and intolerance, using speech to challenge speech in the marketplace of ideas, which is certainly part of our American tradition. I'm sorry you want to spend so much time quibbling, and I'm sorry Mr. Jones' stunt has consumed so much attention when there are so many important challenges we face domestically and abroad. But, I stand by my call to speak out against bigotry and for religious tolerance for all faiths, not just Mr. Jones' version of the truth. Lisa