Columbia University president Lee Bollinger tried to undo the damage done by inviting a mass murderer to give a lecture today at his university by cataloging some of the Iranian government's crimes, but not before engaging in moral puffery as a great defender of free speech.
One can leave aside the rank hypocrisy of making the invitation of a killer and avowed enemy of the United States as a free speech issue when Columbia University did not allow Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen group, to speak. We can also leave aside the fact that entire departments at Columbia have become politicized and have a litmus test for faculty hiring.
The more basic issue is Bollinger's and Columbia's inability to distinguish between thought and action. Ahmadinejad is not a scholar with a differing interpretation, nor is he a legitimate leader of a civilized nation who is interested in a meeting of the minds. He is a murdering thug who kills in the name of medieval religious dogma. He has no ideas to impart. He is interested only in the suppresion of the mind by the use of terror. Columbia today has yet again disgraced itself by providing a moral sanction to an evil regime and man. Iran has also been in a state of war with the United States since 1979. All Iranian inspired and supported terror is aimed at our life, liberty and ability to pursue our chosen route to happiness.
Hat tip: Michelle for photo
Crossposted at The Dougout
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