Give leadership institutions their due

I am no fan of Kim Jong-un, but I believe the Hollywood flick, The Interview, which is about the attempted assassination of the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is out of line.

I have not seen the Seth Rogen vehicle and I don't intend to. But I do agree that Sony Pictures should not have pulled the picture earlier in the face of threats from hackers allegedly from the DPRK. At the same time, I don't think the movie should have been made at all in the first place.

US citizens cherish their inalienable right to freedom of speech, but it can go too far. Rights, of course, must be balanced by responsibility. Yet, television talk-show hosts routinely take potshots at elected government leaders with impunity, undermining their authority and credibility. And it does not help when these leaders stoop to take part in the circus.