An obscure Florida preacher, Terry Jones, has drawn worldwide attention by scheduling a burning of Qurans on Sept. 11. which he has dubbed “International Burn-a-Quran Day” to mark the ninth anniversary of 9/11.

The plan has drawn protests from the head of American forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, who asked Jones to call it off because it will incite violence against Americans in some countries.

A host of others have voiced similar concerns, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Vatican, the White House, and Angelina Jolie.

There has been little published support for the burning. Even the comments on the story on the OP web site are rather subdued. http://bit.ly/9q9v50

I think people realize that Jones can do it under U.S. guarantees of free speech.

And that Americans are likely to be killed over it because of radical Islamic sects guarantees of vengeance to any affront.

Relative impact, other than a publicity stunt here and an overreaction there? Not much.

And, much as I hate to say it, this would not be an event if the media were not making such a big deal of it.