I don’t think conflict avoidance at all costs is the way to go. But the opposite extreme of purposefully and outrageously offending everyone isn’t exactly a smart course either.
I remember years ago being on FR arguing against the use of a public museum to display some “art” like the Virgin Mary done with elephant dung and pornographic images. Catholics were outraged. Liberals were loving it. Given that public funds were constantly forbidden to touch positive religion, I felt they had no right to touch negative religion either. Regardless of position, highly insulting stuff has its place and some people have a strong appetite for it. BUT no one is obligated to be offensive in the name of free speech — the “because it was there” argument. Restraint does not harm free speech. Choices not to be offensive can be as freely chosen as choices to be offensive.
So a demand to reprint the cartoons is as anti free speech as a demand not to print. There is no obligation either way. Print them if you want to. Just arrest the murderers.
You make a valid point. Being deliberately provocative is uncivilized.
But in this case where the cartoon is the catalyst of the entire news event I think is no less than cowardly. AP and others had no issue with publishing pictures of the Piss Christ “art”