The progressive goal has to be to focus that military response narrowly on those responsible, a sentiment that has widespread support with the public, who have been heard repeatedly to say they want blood, but the right blood. Despite initial fears, so far the public expressions of revenge have avoided most vestiges of broad xenophobia and in fact have been backed by repeated statements that the enemy in this situation is not Islam or Arabs generally but a particular set of criminals.
It is worth noting this as a marked change from few years ago and a sign that anti-xenophobic and anti-racist work has made successful inroads broadly into the public consciousness. Jennings at ABC noted that "anti-racism" zones have been popping up on campuses across the country as a public response to the fringe racist threats.
And once the immediate perpetuators of this mass murder are dealt with, the real debate will happen, namely how to prevent a repeat in the future. That is when arguments for improving global justice, removing the misery where hate breeds, and assuring collective security through justice will be possible.
-- Nathan Newman