Free Speech

While watching the Orange and Black Debacle yesterday with cyber-notables Tavern Wench, Covington Jim and Mr. Sheperd, the beer commercial conversation turned to Mr. Ahmadinejad, who is due to speak at Columbia, and has been the source of right wing hysterics (and left wing pussy footing) since he expressed an interest in laying a wreath at Ground Zero.

What's been lost, here, in all of this, is our ability to set an example, to take the moral high ground: While there is some evidence Iran has fuelled the insurgency, there is some evidence that our allies have as well, not to metion our great friend in Pakistan harboring the son of another great ally Saudi Arabia, the one who put the crater there in the first case, and why would not want this guy to face some tough questions from some of the most educated minds in this country.

Which raises another point: Maybe the right wing doesn't want all those left/liberal/lesbi/femin/marx/deconstruction/ists asking this guy tough questions, since it would certainly destroy that right wing notion that we are all waiting, with ticket tape parade, for this guy.

Let's get this thing straight: Mahmoud does not want to answer the question about what he admire about Bush because, in Iran, he is Bush...

UPDATE: The Liberal University indeed...see, we can be utter boorish louts, too. You see, this is exactly what we didn't need: ideological grandstanding. What is the point of bringing Ahmadinejad to Columbia if you are framing the debate Dr. Bollinger with your, um, characterization of Evil. I would expect a person of your learning to understand what is at stake here, and not throwing the right wingers a bone...