Jim: So I checked out Michelle Malkin’s latest Vent, and I have my first major bone to pick with her.

Michelle has positive things to say about the new film, “United 93″, but she has a major problem with a portion of the film’s web site, entitled, “Why do they hate America?” Malkin laments that the section doesn’t mention bin Laden, that it Catholic-bashes because of its references to the Crusades, it blames Israel for jihad, and an attempt to portray Muslims as “the perpetual victim of Western aggression.” She even compares this essay to statements by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. “Universal Studios has some explaining to do. Blaming the victim is no way to honor the heroes of United flight 93,” she concludes.

Stop. Please.

I tried to make the point with Cam on the show the other day. All Universal Studios has done is answer the prayers of everyone who got tired of neo-Nazis and government conspiracies and “Fahrenheit 9/11″ and “Syriana” and “Flightplan” and made a film that portrays our enemies in the war on terror accurately.

I suspect that if “United 93″ bombs, you will not see another major movie dealing with Islamist terrorism for another ten years. (I know Oliver Stone has his “World Trade Center” coming out this summer; I mean that Hollywood will conclude that the market for “America-is-bad” movies will have been demonstratably profitable, but that there’s no market for “al-Qaeda-is-bad.”)

Do I like the “Why do they hate America” essay? No. But I’m not going to get up in arms about it and attack a studio that’s taken an enormous financial and public relations risk to create a film dealing with issues I’ve been clamoring for for a while. Bashing Universal and comparing their web site to Zarqawi just sends the message that even addressing these issues isn’t worth it.

A little perspective is in order. Let’s dial back our perpetual outrage meters back from 11 once in a while, okay?

Marshall: First, I agree with Jim that Universal has gone out on a limb to make this film, and I want to give them credit where credit is due for that. I think Jim is right that if the film bombs, it’s going to send a powerful message to the other studios. I also agree that Michelle, who I very much like, has gone a little overboard on this one.

Having said that, I’ve also read the essay in question on the website. My reaction: it’s not so much slanted as incomplete. For example, the discussion of “modern times” includes nothing about Israel or the history of Islamic terrorism since World War II. The discussion of ancient history is pretty bland and factual, but again, incomplete. That’s a shame. Universal has an opportunity to educate, and they’ve missed it.