I wasn't trying to prove any type of superior quality on my part, intellectual or otherwise, and there sure as hell wasn't anything "ideological" in what I was saying. It certainly wasn't something I took pleasure in doing. It would have been plenty easier for me to just ignore it and look for a more comfortable thread where I could calmly discuss the proper legal scope of the 14th amendment or something. But when I see what looks to me like expressions of blind hatred towards people who've committed no crime, it feels wrong not to speak up. It may not be the most pleasant thing for people to hear at a particular moment, but it's still an important thing to hear. I believe such expressions - wittingly or unwittingly (most likely the latter) - degrade the lives of those who died on Sept. 11, because it turns innocent life into a legitimate target of anger. And I think it causes us to lose our focus against those who truly deserve punishment.
I'll try to be more mindful in the future about saying things that may seem uncalled for in a given situation, but I have no intention of remaining silent about this matter.
Nor would I expect you to.
Suffice it to say that while normally it may be appropriate to take someone to task for spontaneous, inflammatory or imprudent expressions of emotion, there are times when its best to leave them be. This IMO was one of those times.
BTW thanks for the thoughtful response.