Columbia University Shows True American Values

Columbia University, by inviting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak, has shown confidence in the wisdom and adultness of their students and our republic.

Ahmadinejad is the president of a major nation in a vital part of the world, and we should have enough self-assurance and belief in our own system of government, and in the intelligence of our college students, that we can let them (and our larger public) evaluate his words, whatever they may be.

To be terrified of his speaking there (or, for that matter, laying a wreath at Ground Zero) is behavior one would have expected from a fragile régime like Khrushchev's USSR or Burma's military junta, not the bold, brave, and fearless USA.

We are the nation whose President Nixon reached out to and met with China's Mao Tse Tsung at the same time Mao was funding and arming the North Vietnamese to kill our soldiers in Vietnam. We're the nation whose President Reagan confronted Soviet President Gorbachev, who at the time had thousands of nuclear warheads armed and pointed at us and was actively funding and arming proxy wars we were fighting in more than a half-dozen nations. We're the nation whose President Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

And let's also remember that the people of Tehran, Iran, produced one of the largest candlelight vigil demonstrations in the Muslim world in support of the USA the day after 9/11, repudiating the act and actors of that event. We still have the ability to make an ally of that nation, and shouldn't blow it by fear and bluster (or bombs). America is better and stronger than the nervous Nellies and chickenhawk war-mongers who currently have control of the Republican Party (and a few Democrats, apparently).

As JFK said: "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."

We are not afraid. We are Americans!

Comments

[horhay]

The First Amendment grants us Freedom of Speech. Allowing Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia University means that we truly believe in free speech. Most of us don't like him, but I still am interested in what he has to say. We will finally hear him speak without the media distortions, propaganda, and words taken out of context.

It is equally everyones right to protest his speech or to question and challenge him on issues. Allowing him to speak is a start for some type of diplomacy that the Bush administration either doesn't understand or just doesn't want.

The fact that he denies the Holocaust or says there aren't gay people in Iran is despicable and ignorant. But like people who have said in this post, "Why not let David Duke speak, too?"
Sure, why not? Maybe Duke and Farrakahn can have a debate? The point is, people like Limbaugh and Coulter spew hatred and bigotry all the time. It's repulsive to me, so I don't listen to it. But it is their right to speak.

As far as Gilchrist not being invited. He can find a different venue, I don't think Ahmadinejad had that option. But the irony is that Ahmadinejad is just defending his borders like the "minutemen" are. In fact some powermad lunatics decided to invade the country next door to Iran. Don't you think you'd be a little nervous too? You'd probably want to defend your country.

[curioustorquemada]

I watched the narrow eyed thug on TV today. His answers were the standard BS and had little relation to the questions.
The only troubling thing was the level of support among the students. I get sick thinking of future leaders cheering for that man.

[raker]

Hartmann's right about Columbia, and wrong about the WTC site. Colleges mustn't fear ideas, even odious ones. But beyond that, people must be wary of being used as propaganda tools. Welcome him to Colummbia; reject him at WTC.

[ETownCrier]

"open debate"???
HOW DO YOU DEBATE with someone who denies FACTS of living history? how do you debate with someone who does not have a different opinon but his own made up facts they are just not true??? Do you debate with someone who insists that it is nighttime despite the fact that sun is shining , or do you walk away and call him a crackpot? Ahmadinejad is a crackpot pure and simple. He speech isnt about honest debate of opinon, it is about an evil person lying and disotrting and selling himself as something otherthan the piece of trash that he is.

[IranianDude]

Thank you Thom!

A dialogue can only be had when both parties are willing to listen. I appluad the Columbia university's decision to invite Mr Ahmadinejad to this forum.

This time the Whitehouse and AIPAC coalition of the liers cannot distort and change his statments.

Peace!

[curioustorquemada]

How could the Whitehouse or AIPAC make him look any worse than he already is?

[UltraClassic]

For all of you liberals and leftists out there who are falling all over yourselves about this Iranian goof ball, forget all the double standard two faced yip-yap you people are singing to the tune of "Ahmad good, minutemen bad."

I got one word (number for your), 444. Think about it.

[Johnz52]

For two countries that claim to be democracies and foster free sppech, plenty in the U.S. and Israel are doing everything to see that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is denied that right here in America. There is all this hand wringing about Ahmadinejad's rhetoric and his role as a student activist during the Iran hostage crisis. Considering that the CIA removed the democratically elected Mossadegh in 1953 to install the Shah's puppet government, it might shed light on why Iranians felt they were justified having and axe to grind with the U.S. What most Americans have forgotten is that during this same period our great ally Israel was selling arms to Iran and supporting them in their war with Iraq. Ahmadinejad has every right to speak at Columbia and on U.S. television, afterall we get Abraham Foxman and the ADL's point of view on a regular basis on all things Middle East. Another voice and point of view is what American democracy should be all about.

[mellene]

I certainly think that the invitation by Columbia University to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the right thing to do given our nature of "free speech" in this country. Wouldn't it be a pity to loose that too as so much of the Constitution has been eroded under the Bush regime. I hope Congress doesn't try and intervene by threatening the funding of Columbia University.

[FogBelter]

Hey Thom, love your show. I find it difficult to understand the uproar surrounding Ahmadinejad's appearence at Columbia University, in fact it actually serves his purposes to make a big deal out of him in the first place.

I place Ahmadinejad in the same catagory as Mugabe. or Marcos, or the Shah ... a petty despot who is a far greater threat to his own people than he is to the outside World. To put him in the same catagory as Hitler, Mao, or Stalin just inflates his influence beyond reason.

So Ahmadinejad is a Holocaust denier, hell, we have those in the US, for crying out loud. People who are subject to irrational hate are rarely redeemable, and it should be remembered that the German's weren't the only Anti-Semites in Europe in the 1930's, and that could be said for today as well.

My Great Grandfather lost his entire family (parents, fourteen brothers and sisters, and an unknowable number of aunts, uncles and cousins) in Warsaw during WWII. To those of us who lost relatives during that dark stage of human history the opinon of Ahmadinejad is simply the ravings of a hate-filled fool ... he isn't a threat to the reality of history. The musings of an idiot aren't going to change the reality of history for the people of reason in the World, who actually keep humanity progressing and growing, The people who would agree with Ahmadinejad's misrepresentation of reality are pretty much a lost cause anyway.

Bottom line. let the puny despot speak ... He's no Hitler. To view his Nuclear ambitions as a threat is to assume a soap box racer will win the Indianapolis 500, and since the United States was the nation that opened the Pandora's Box of the Nuclear Arms Race in the first place we have only ourselves to blame that the "unwashed" have developed a desire to have a few of the hellish devices for themselves.

[Producer1]

When we don't excecise our muscles we grow flabby and it's that much harder to get our muscle tone back, if ever. The same applies to our freedom of speech. It is too precious a right to let go.

This current administration has made too many people pay too high a price for that right. Joseph Wilson comes to mind as well as anyone who had legitimate criticism of this administration, most recently MoveOn.org.

Columbia should be applauded for its fair and open minded approach. Open debate is the crucible from which the truth will eventually emerge. If either side of a debate is secure in its beliefs why should it fear the opposition?

Thom Hartmann is that rara avis that allows open debate. He regularly has guests with extreme opposing views on his program and he is never afraid to confront them in a highly courteous and civil manner, which is great because you can actually hear what they are saying.

BTW if you live in the big city you have easier access to free speech. When you live in Orlando the only free speech is highly religious and very consevative. Think of it-the tourist Mecca of the US has no progressive voice. I have to listen on the net to get any progressive talk programs. That automatically shuts out anyone who doesn't have access to a computer.

Speak out more and don't be afraid.

[ETownCrier]

Dude, how repugnant must a person be for him to be so repulsive that you wouldnt want him to come speak at your kid's school? where would you draw the line? Saddam Hussein? Osama Bin Laden? adolf Hitler?
Innocent Citizens of Iran aside, Ahmadinejad is a evil. He has been involved with rerrorism, from his days as a student acitivst to a head of state who sponsors terrorism including the killing of americans in iraq. just take a look at his verbal threats and his capabilities.
This doesn't represent american values.
Would you support a speech even by David Duke?

[BMSstudy]

I love the idea that CU thinks that their students can critically listen and then make their own determinations regarding major issues confronting us today. I love the idea that a university trusts their customers enough to make informed decisions about complex issues that tend to illicit very strong arguements from more than just two sides.

But you still better keep those sneaky, lying, clever 'used car' like salesmen ROTC and Armed Services off campus because they surely can outsmart/outsneak simple mined CU students.

I agree that having MA speak is not a horrible thing, I would actually like to listen to his talks at CU and the United Nations versus those he has made inside his own country. I think that would be an interesting comparison. I would like to get some firsthand knowledge regarding what he has said about Isreal (some say he wants to 'wipe' it off the map and others say that he says he wants the current leadership replaced because they seem to favor war versus talk.

[MichelleH]

I am so relieved to hear this debate will raise the "confidence" of students.

Come on, that is the most pathetic excuse we have heard yet. Even if you oppose Bush & current administration, this man has nothing to do with politics. He professes terrorism, has murdered innocent people. Inviting him to lecture on current world issues is akin to inviting Ted Bundy to a dialogue on human values. Read the Iranian papers describing their President's efforts to "enlighten Americans on world affairs". Better still read Columbia's own school paper where the editors are firmly opposed to this monster coming to their campus. Freedom of speech?

Why doesn't Columbia invite their very own alumnus just released last week from an Iranian prison to the QA forum (all in the name of free speech of course)?

Because this has nothing to do with the free speech slogan they are swinging around like a patronizing coca cola commercial. It has everything to do with blatant disregard for their own students and the country.

Columbia's standards have been dumped into the toilet bowl. We will be watching when the sewage splashes right back into their faces.

[sedalia066]

Good for Columbia and freedom of speech in America. Much as I may disagree with and dislike Ahmadinejad, I support the idea of open debate in our country. Suppression and isolation will never win hearts and minds around the world. We should lead the way to open relations with all world leaders no matter their politics of the time.

[Jimp123]

It is a shame that more people in America cannot think and speak like this. I am from the UK and from the news it seems so much in America now is an oxymoron, you are a democracy and want free speach yet everyone wants to ban speakers who do not fit into the norm. You want Freedom of Religion and yet are too scared to hold religious holidays and festivals in case you offend another grouping.

Instead of being so parinoid about what other people and group things it is about time to free yourself from the shackles of those who wish to supress free thought, ideas, philosophy and religion and allow more debates and discussions like this!!!!

[Colmore]

Amen to that. I was born in the UK. Liverpool. Married a GI. I find it hard to take that so many Americans are fooled by this administration. I watched 60 Minutes last night, the interview with the Iranian president. He came across as highly intelligent and knowledgeable. I wrote 60 Minutes to ask if we could trade him for the illiterate president we have.

[steamboat]

You say you believe in freedom of speech. Good for you. So will you criticize Columbia if they deny Gilchrist, Sean Hannity, and David Horowitz when they try speaking there?

[Veleria29]

I am glad that he will be allowed to speak. Could it be that this government does not want him to speak because he might speak the truth and not support the lies put out by this administration about him. Wheather we agree with him or his governemt or not he is the President of Iran and he was elected by the people in his country by popular vote which this country does not have, if we did Al gore would now be President and we would not be at war in Iraq.