You have the right to your opinions....
....unless we think you are wrong.
Today, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran gave a speech at Columbia University, an event that had been much maligned by those in the press and seemingly everyone in any political office that has any glimmer of importance. In fact, it seemed as though they were tripping over one another in their haste to call down Ahmadinejad for any number of things, from his denial of the holocaust to Iran's nuclear program to his being the reason why AIDS and SIDS exist. Yet, despite the hue and cry and the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands over this matter, Columbia University would not be deterred. Ahmadinejad would speak, and intellectual debate would ensue.
Or so I thought.
Turns out, it appears that the President of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, had his own reasons for not cancelling the event. namely, to call out President Ahmadinejad for whatever he could think of, critisizing his human rights record and calling him a 'cruel and petty dictator'. Only after questioning his willingness to answer the questions posed to him did he permit Ahmadinejad to speak.
Last I checked, one of the rights that his country has is the freedom to belive whatever it is that one desires, regardless of whether or not it's right (yes, I am looking at you Scientology). By slamming the beliefs of others, even if one does not agree with them, prior to allowing that person to speak, it is impossible to imagine that anyone in the audience would have an open mind about listening to the man. Any valid points he may have had will have fallen by the wayside, because of one person's petty rantings.
Imagine the uproar that would exist in this country should the same treatment be given to President Bush if he was to speak at a university in Iran. What if someone there was to call him a 'cruel and petty dictator'? The press would be screaming for whoever said that's head. And yet, this country cannot imagine why other nations hate us. Maybe it's because of arrogance like this.
Just because one doesn't agree with what someone else believes doesn't mean that they don't have the right to belive what they want. It is one of the principles that this country was founded upon.
Today, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran gave a speech at Columbia University, an event that had been much maligned by those in the press and seemingly everyone in any political office that has any glimmer of importance. In fact, it seemed as though they were tripping over one another in their haste to call down Ahmadinejad for any number of things, from his denial of the holocaust to Iran's nuclear program to his being the reason why AIDS and SIDS exist. Yet, despite the hue and cry and the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands over this matter, Columbia University would not be deterred. Ahmadinejad would speak, and intellectual debate would ensue.
Or so I thought.
Turns out, it appears that the President of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, had his own reasons for not cancelling the event. namely, to call out President Ahmadinejad for whatever he could think of, critisizing his human rights record and calling him a 'cruel and petty dictator'. Only after questioning his willingness to answer the questions posed to him did he permit Ahmadinejad to speak.
Last I checked, one of the rights that his country has is the freedom to belive whatever it is that one desires, regardless of whether or not it's right (yes, I am looking at you Scientology). By slamming the beliefs of others, even if one does not agree with them, prior to allowing that person to speak, it is impossible to imagine that anyone in the audience would have an open mind about listening to the man. Any valid points he may have had will have fallen by the wayside, because of one person's petty rantings.
Imagine the uproar that would exist in this country should the same treatment be given to President Bush if he was to speak at a university in Iran. What if someone there was to call him a 'cruel and petty dictator'? The press would be screaming for whoever said that's head. And yet, this country cannot imagine why other nations hate us. Maybe it's because of arrogance like this.
Just because one doesn't agree with what someone else believes doesn't mean that they don't have the right to belive what they want. It is one of the principles that this country was founded upon.