Are we sensitive...and Australian?

Is the concept of editorial sensitivity sweeping our freedom under the carpet?

There seems to be an unusual argument in favour of censorship of cartoons because they are insensitive. As the Danish editor of Jyllands-Posten ably argued, most people are offended by insensitive or bad taste cartoons, but only a few use them as an excuse for a beheading.

About seventy years ago Jewish leaders in Germany suggested that if they removed any hint of satire regarding a response to the Nazi's views, they would not incite Hitler and his followers and eventually they would be left alone.

We now have a condition of history repeating itself. We can not use cartoons to depict people using religion as a cover for terrorism, because it is argued, we will upset religious sensitivities? That is the same argument used by the grand inquisitors to deal with their detractors over six hundred years ago.

Possibly the cartoons are a good way to flush out potential terrorists, or better still those who have incited the "expression of outrage" as an excuse for terrorism. But then again, maybe sticking your head in the sand, being sensitive to thugs and avoiding confrontation on this issue will fix the wider root problem?

My limited experience with people who would be bullies, is that you confront them before they have an organised power base. Bullies rely on apathy or fear to allow them to go about picking off defenceless minorities.

Many Muslims are indicating that bowing to the extremist's calls for censorship, will detract from the debate and not do Islam any favours when it comes to dealing with the root cause of conflict. Somehow, being overly sensitive and sheathing the satirical sword, instead of using it to cut through the terrorist's cloak of religious sensitivity, does not sound very Australian to me.