Next time there’s a shooting somewhere here in America that strikes you as likely to have come from a radical believer in Islam, ask yourself this question: Why do our culture’s justice system and its mainstream media both seem so protective of Islam and so eager to keep you from premature judgment?

I can say with 99 percent certainty I’ll never draw the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a parody or as a serious depiction, but I have criticized radical Islam and will continue to do so. I don’t go out of my way to offend, but, as a Christian and a conservative with published opinions, I end up offending someone.

Isn’t it strange how campus liberalism has evolved from a free-speech, tradition-defying, I-am-woman, youth-led movement to a speech-suppressing, narrow-minded, prudish crusade led by grandchildren of the earlier generation? From campus speech codes to California’s Yes Means Yes sexual consent law, the political correctness is odd, even to this Christian who doesn’t like name-calling (though I’ve done it, I confess) and believes fornication is a sin.

Reactions to the brutal shootings in Paris last month inadvertently have clarified at least one important issue. And that clarification may produce an unexpected result, leaving many of us conservatives in debt to our liberal counterparts.

Last week, the pastor of a small church in Gilbert, Ariz., introduced himself on the steps outside of the Supreme Court. 

“I’m Clyde Reed, pastor of Good News Community Church in Gilbert, Ariz.,” he said. “I’m 82 years old and have been a pastor for over 40 years. I never dreamed my small church sign would be a topic for the Supreme Court.”

Reed’s small congregation rents temporary locations for worship services, making it all the more important to point people in the right direction.

The Radiance Foundation, a pro-life group, is appealing an attempt by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to silence criticism of its support for abortion.

UPDATE (3 p.m. EDT): Houston Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman are distancing themselves from the city’s controversial sermon subpoenas. The duo blamed the “overly broad” document requests on their pro bono attorneys at Susman Godfrey L.L.P., city spokeswoman Janice Evans told me in an email.