Yesterday’s (September 24, 2007) appearance at Columbia University by Iran’s President Ahmadinejad and the introduction by University President Bollinger expose in microcosm America’s fundamental naiveté.
President Bollinger to his credit excoriated the tyrant of Teheran in no uncertain terms. President Bollinger did what would be ordinarily unthinkable. What type of host lambastes a guess? Certainly, if anyone deserved a verbal dressing down it would be Ahmadinejad.
Yet prefacing Ahmadinejad’s speech with the litany of his twisted evil-inspired world view may have mollified irate Donors, Faculty, Students and Alumni but totally misses the point. President Bollinger’s rebuke was wasted on Ahmadinejad. President Ahmadinejad knows but one thing ‘My message is so valued by Americans, I was invited to speak at the most prominent university in New York’
Ahmadinejad only sees that he is center stage and nothing else. Ahmadinejad can boast how he stood up to his detractors that he is strong, proud and fearless.
Americans, raised in liberty and cherishing a robust diversity of opinion were given the opportunity to see Ahmadinejad for the twisted debasement of humanity that defines who he and his fellow travelers are. Ahmadinejad’s sympathizers only see the appearance at Columbia University as a victory and reason to be emboldened. This twisted point of view is why Columbia University should never have allowed Ahmadinejad a venue to spew his ignorant and belligerent diatribe against civility, decency and humanity
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