(1) At what point are we as a society/culture when there is a very clear recognition by many that there are definitely some social/political/religious groups that will burn things & bust kneecaps (or worse) if offended or insulted, and some that will engage in little more than harmless griping when likewise offended or insulted … and that this very recognition leads to actively choosing some behaviors/speech and the avoidance of other behaviors/speech?

(2) If yours is the group widely recognized to be the P&Ming wimps, what is your recourse?

There will always be groups who will act with “uncompromising” militancy and sometimes, with savagery. Consider the following strategies. Strategy one: match the militants for extremism. Strategy two: do nothing. Strategy three: insist on a level playing field.

Strategy three is the best and preserves civil society. However, if society cannot preserve the level playing field then any group wishing to avoid extermination by militants will gradually retaliate with extremism of its own. This is the well known phenomenon of “polarization”. This is what happened in the former Yugoslavia and more recently, in Iraq. Once this happens in society it eventually breaks down. The situation in occupied Czechoslovakia was a classic case. When the rule of force began, the Nazis were fated to meet the Anthropoids. In Israel, unless something is done to treat all Israelis equally (and that means treating Arabs without discrimination both positively and negatively) then eventually things will break down or be partitioned.

In the US there is nothing remotely similar yet. But if certain trends are not reversed, maybe things will get there.