Victims mentality on a societal level?

The only thing Western Society savors more than its right to free speech, is defending that right. The recent melee between Comedy Central’s South Park censorship of a show depicting Muhammad and the American public is a perfect example. The Muslim group, revolution, “informed” South Park and co. that Theo Van Gogh was on their minds. Comedy Central capitulated and the American free speech obsession -no pun intended- was set in motion.

I wonder whether we have been completely fair in our criticisms. Free speech has evolved over the last century and has been extended to protect everything from explicit novelettes to good old Hugh Hefner exuberance. However, before you go streaking through your neighborhood, claiming artistic expression, know this. Our supreme court, has ruled that

The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. falsely shouting fire in t a theater (Schenck v. United States,1919).

Thus our free speech loving society has already drawn the line, when life is threatened speech is no longer free.

As far as I’m concerned the only difference between Comedy Central and Co., which many now abhor, and the Supreme Court, in all its subjective glory, is that Comedy Central didn’t wait until the government confirmed that there was a clear and present danger. Put otherwise. The real tragedy here is that we have targeted the victim, for their spinelessness while suppressing the perpetrators brazenness.

Victim mentality on a societal level?