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No accounting for taste, really
Sep. 21st, 2007 08:28 amI'm all for free speech. I believe people should be able to say what they think without prosecution. Sometimes what they say is wrong and disgusting, but having a mindset is not a crime.
There is, however, no accounting for taste. Columbia University has invited President Ahmadinejad of Iran to speak at their "World Leaders Forum". Why would an American university invite an America-hating, terrorism-supporting, Iraqi guerrilla-training Iranian President to speak, of all places, in New York City? I mean, it's a well-established fact that our universities lean heavily to the left, but is it really necessary to invite our lethal venom-spewing enemies to talk to our students? "Kids, let's give a round of applause to Mr Ahmadinejad, who sponsors people who will kill every one of you infidel pigs". Columbia University President should turn back on his sense of good taste. NYPD had refused Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero, although he only wanted to lay a wreath and "pay tribute to the victims". Why did they do that? Because Ahmadinejad represents the people who perpetrated this atrocity, and NYPD seems to see his visit to the grave site as inappropriate. NYC government and Senator McCain are now urging the university to cancel Ahmadinejad's invitation because, well, they also see it as inappropriate. Why doesn't Columbia?
Update: Let me clarify something. I'm not against inviting our ideological enemies in for a speech. However, enemies with our blood on their hands are across the decency line for me. We should use the instruments of foreign policy to deal with them, but we don't have to cozy up to them and pretend they are all nice and fuzzy.
There is, however, no accounting for taste. Columbia University has invited President Ahmadinejad of Iran to speak at their "World Leaders Forum". Why would an American university invite an America-hating, terrorism-supporting, Iraqi guerrilla-training Iranian President to speak, of all places, in New York City? I mean, it's a well-established fact that our universities lean heavily to the left, but is it really necessary to invite our lethal venom-spewing enemies to talk to our students? "Kids, let's give a round of applause to Mr Ahmadinejad, who sponsors people who will kill every one of you infidel pigs". Columbia University President should turn back on his sense of good taste. NYPD had refused Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero, although he only wanted to lay a wreath and "pay tribute to the victims". Why did they do that? Because Ahmadinejad represents the people who perpetrated this atrocity, and NYPD seems to see his visit to the grave site as inappropriate. NYC government and Senator McCain are now urging the university to cancel Ahmadinejad's invitation because, well, they also see it as inappropriate. Why doesn't Columbia?
Update: Let me clarify something. I'm not against inviting our ideological enemies in for a speech. However, enemies with our blood on their hands are across the decency line for me. We should use the instruments of foreign policy to deal with them, but we don't have to cozy up to them and pretend they are all nice and fuzzy.