Holmes writes:
...a small % of muslims getting riled up over something stupid, likely the result of a mistaken impression ...
... a large % of the US who believed ...
Hmmm. The common denominator is the "messenger" of news to the populace. Maybe the old adage is wrong. Maybe we
should shoot the messenger.
Whether it's the news media, an intelligence-gathering organization, or whatever, the people get riled up over what they hear from the messenger they perceive as telling them the truth.
The one exception here in your example might be the messenger to the Jewish people. I would not advocate shooting Him! OK, I am also not advocating shooting you for your other statements.
Disclaimer: OK, for those not familiar with sarcasm, I am NOT really advocating shooting anyone.
However, it raises the issue of what policy really will work when the messenger has an agenda of their own to spin things no matter what you do. In particular, if we fight, we rile them up. If we appease them, we embolden them. I think this is evident in the recent boldness of Chavez and Ahmadinejad. They are confident that America is not wanting to fight, and that the UN (or at least Russia and China) will be on their side against the superpower.
'Liberalism is a mental disorder' - Michael Savage