By Bill O'Reilly

About two weeks ago, a so-called pastor named Terry Jones burned the Koran in Gainesville, Florida. Fox News and most other media ignored it.

But then the incredibly inept Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, gave a speech saying that Jones should be arrested. That was all the nutty mullahs needed to whip up fringe elements in Afghanistan. They took to the streets, murdering perhaps as many as 38 innocent people. Reports are they even beheaded a few of them.

Of course, these people had nothing to do with the Koran burning, but the fanatical Muslims couldn't care less. They wanted to kill, so they killed.

Everyone involved in this story is disgusting. This Terry Jones idiot has blood on his hands. He had to know fanatical Muslims would go crazy. Karzai is simply a villain. Why on Earth are we supporting this guy? And once again, the Muslim problem in the world is illustrated for all to see.

Reaction to the situation is interesting. Gen. David Petraeus is the commander in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN: We condemn the action of an individual in the United States who burned a holy Koran. That action was hateful, it was intolerant and it was extremely disrespectful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Sen. Lindsay Graham also weighed in:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C.: I wish we could find some way to hold people accountable. Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war. During World War II, you had limits on what you could say if it would inspire the enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And then there's the media. Listen to this exchange:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY GHOSH, TIME MAGAZINE: If you're a Muslim, the Koran is directly the word of God, not written by man. It's transcribed as directly the word of God. That makes it sacred in a way that it's hard to understand if you're not Muslim. So the act of burning a Koran is much more -- potentially much, much more inflammatory than…

CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: Directly attacking -- directly attacking God.

GHOSH: …than if you were to burn a -- burn a Bible.

TODD: Directly attacking God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That's ridiculous. The Bible is a holy book considered to be the word of God by Christians and Jews. But Christians and Jews don't slaughter innocent people when the Bible is burned, do they?

But it is Karzai whom I hold most responsible. The book-burner in Florida is a loon, but Karzai holds a position of responsibility. He had to know he was whipping up dangerous feelings when he addressed the issue. And for what reason? Politics? There's blood on your hands, Karzai.

Finally, "Talking Points" remains very dubious about the entire Afghan culture. For 10 years the United States has tried to improve things in that country, yet it is still barbaric in many ways.

So the question is: How much longer can we continue to try to save the Afghan people from themselves?

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

The rock singer Meat Loaf is getting some attention on "The Celebrity Apprentice" program:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEAT LOAF, SINGER: I bought those (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sponges. Part of that paint is mine. I'm (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sick and tired of you, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. No, no, no, no, no.

MEAT LOAF: You look in my eyes. I am the last person in the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) world you ever want to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) with!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Meat Loaf is a little intense. So is he a pinhead or a patriot for entertaining us that way? You can vote on BillOReilly.com.

Last week, Sen. Chuck Schumer said that Fox News analyst Kirsten Powers is a conservative, setting Ms. Powers into a very confused state, as she's anything but. Well, 96 percent of you believe that Sen. Schumer is a pinhead for that remark; 4 percent believe he's a patriot, including his mom.

— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.