On the one hand, maybe we should simply ignore Terry Jones. His Gainesville, Florida, congregation is said to have 50 or fewer members. He's done hateful, radical things before, he'll obviously keep doing them, and so far, he has the constitutional right to do everything he's doing. Whether he's a nut, a publicity-seeking charlatan, or just a hideously misguided religious fanatic, he hasn't been breaking the law. Burning the Koran, as he and his congregation plan to do on September 11, isn't breaking the law.

And the more attention we give him, the more we egg him on.

On the other hand, we have to be responsible for the results of our actions. General David Petraeus has warned that the Koran burning could result in violent protests in Afghanistan and other countries - and that it could endanger US troops.

Leaders of a broad variety of religious faiths have been speaking out against Jones. So have some political leaders. It doesn't seem likely that they'll change Jones' mind, though. This morning's Times offers this quote from a recorded Jones sermon: "What we're doing has no middle of the road. You have to believe it is totally, totally God or absolutely of the devil."

So let me turn to a different topic: politics.

Republicans like Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin - and New York's very own Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino - have used fear of Muslims to score political points. Maybe some enterprising journalist will interview each of them about Jones and the Koran burning. Do they agree with Jones that Islam is "of the devil"? Are all Muslims alike? Is Islam a religion worthy of respect? And what is the difference between their opposition to the proposed Islamic center in Manhattan and Jones' own protest against Islam?