No one disputes her “right” to offend. My quibble was over whether her tactics of offense-giving were wise, tactful, courteous, productive or enlightening. Whether they advanced a dialogue or, in a self-fulfilling prophecy, made it easier for her opponents to remain closed-minded.

At the time, my personal response was that she had a vested interest in her opponents’ bigotry and was willing to engage in blatant self-promoting provocation — ostentatiously putting her copy of the Koran on the floor and refusing to move it to a table when politely asked to — in order to ensure that there would be no possibility of finding any common ground.