...and the message should be "we're an innocent bystander here."
+1 Definitely, the correct approach. In the end, bitcoin's resilience will be proven with or without certain types of transactions. Money does not make any statement on morality. An "innocent" payment system cannot be held accountable anymore than an "innocent" $100 bill can be held accountable. Unfortunately, payment systems are unfairly attacked because it is the path of least resistance for enforcement, as in the case of the recent US online poker shutdown. Digital tracking tends to make this easier when money is involved.
However, the benefit to society as a whole, and ultimately our freedom, requires that we maintain efficient
payment systems, efficient
telephone networks, and efficient
postal networks, even if those same networks are used for things that certain people oppose.