You DO condone physical confrontation Ms Gaberman, but apparently only when you agree with the aggresor. Your comments make this point very clearly.

Today, your piece on President Bush and the shoe incident infuriated me to no end. I recognize you may have intended the spot to be received tongue-in-cheek, but this in no way excuses your behavior. I am no fan of Mr. Bush, but I try very hard to remember that he was and is the president of our great country. Perhaps YOU find it funny that someone launched a physical attack on your president in front of millions, but I find it disrespectful of our country, the office of the president, and the dignity of the man. ALL of these things have value. I think the very fact that you thought it ok to run this piece, complete with smug attitudes, seriously degrades the product you deliver to your listeners.

I think the journalist will get out of police custody when the media stops celebrating his deed. Bush may have brushed the incident off in public, but I suspect his administration is fuming and will be pressuring the Iraqis to hold the journalist in custody until the media drops the jokes.

This was a weird bit of parody, right?
Aside from any cultural insensitivity, the commentary on 'fame' and 'commercial exploitation' was funny (and shocking). Well done.

I found this piece to be offensive and culturally insensitive. What made the Iraqi reporter's actions so significant is the cultural association with disrespect. Throwing shoes marked the complete disrespect the reporter feels for the American presence in Iraq and the failures of the Bush policy. To look at this protest lightly through the lens of 15 minutes of fame - particularly the marketing possibilities - is insulting to Iraqis (and others) who do not hold the US administrations views of US actions in Iraq. While I do not condone physical confrontation of any kind, I understand the level of frustration Iraqis may feel as they were used as pawns in US' failed foreign policy while their country was destroyed.