Police in Garland, Texas, spared the world another Charlie Hebdo-type tragedy Sunday when they shot dead two men bent on a murderous attack on a cartoon exhibit depicting the prophet Muhammad.
Effective planning by police and quick action by officers “probably saved lives,” according to the Garland police spokesman. Probably? Given the nature of the event and the fact that one of the attackers had previously been identified as a jihadist sympathizer, the word “probably” seems superfluous.
We hope the focus of this close call doesn’t drift from the attack itself and the heroism of police to handwringing over the the nature of the event.
Yes, the cartoon contest and exhibit were provocative, as are many activities sponsored by the New York-based American Freedom Defense Initiative. But free speech is not up for negotiation depending on how offensive it is.
What’s scary and worth pondering is not that a group would hold such an event in a free society but that it would inspire two men hauling assault weapons and wearing body armor into a foray to murder them.
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