Why should Yale feel the need to trivialize the book by including such juvenile art?

First off, most cartoons are "juvenile" in nature. Secondly the book is about cartoons that changed the world, these cartoons had a major impact on the world and by that definition are nowhere near trivial.

Oh perhaps they weighed the option of receiving scorn and being labeled cowards against the potential for loss of life. If I could save people's lives by calmly accepting some insults I would do it. Would you? But perhaps this wasn't even a consideration.

I am sick of this tired cop-out. That is exactly how terrorism works, they make you choose between potential violence or our values and lifestyle, ie. free access to information. It is not about accepting insults, it is about defiance. It is about telling the terrorists that "we are not afraid of you". Not printing the cartoons reinforces the use or threat of violence to make demands or as a means to deal with differences.

BTW, threatening to kill people because a cartoon poked fun at you or your way of life is very juvenile. It is also embarrassing and a true sign of a lack of confidence in ones beliefs. If one is confident in themselves and in their beliefs no amount of insults, cartoon or otherwise holds any power. Allowing oneself to be offended is a clear sign of weakness of character. I have grown very tired of seeing thin-skinned people (of any race or belief) getting whipped up in a rage over something so trivial as an insult or some similar offense... why can't they just grow up?