Please, Don't Insult Genocidal Tyrants

Amad:

Let me start off by saying that I am no fan of Ahmedinejad… in fact, I don’t particularly like him at all. But I support his right to speak to Americans… the last thing we want is to engage another country in war.

There are things worse than war.

So, when Columbia decided to host the Iranian President for a speech, I was proud of our academic institutions standing up in the face of the Israel Lobby and its supporters, to allow Americans the opportunity to hear directly from the person they have come to hate so much. It wasn’t surprising then that mostly Jewish students and groups lined up to protest against his arrival (this is a fact, not an opinion). The pressure mounted on Columbia’s President to disbar Ahmedinejad from speaking… apparently freedom of speech only applies to rants against Muslims and Islam.

It gets worse. I will deal with it later tonight.

Classical Liberal comments below: "As for Freedom of Speech, that refers to a restraint against government restraining speech. It has nothing to do with inviting people to speak someplace, or uninviting them, or telling the truth about a speaker as you introduce him."

Exactly. It's interesting that the author isn't satisfied with a mere invitation for a thug whose regime hangs gays, stones uppity women and finances terrorists. He wants the Americans to be polite towards this monster!

It was better, much better, that Columbia would have canceled the event than to show the world that the “American Hubris” is not just limited to our government, especially the Bush click.

Of course. Either be nice to immoral men or don't invite them at all. How arrogant of us to criticize evil! (Forget about actually fighting it in any way.)

Shameful is one word I would describe this situation with.

Indeed, this situation is shameful.

Read the comments there as well where practically everyone vomits out the same disgusting rhetoric.

Comments

[laura(southernxyl)]

I'll help you here.

"Freedom of speech" as guaranteed by our precious First Amendment applies to American citizens.

There.

[MikeT]

Actually, it applies to everyone on our soil. The question is, why are we allowing the figurehead of state of a country arming those killing our troops to come here without being arrested?

[Classical Liberal]

Yes, it is just terribly untoward to tell the truth about tyrants and madmen, especially to their face. So if you meet Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, or Ahmedinejad, don't dare to be so arrogant as to tell the truth about them and condemn their atrocities. No, no, tell them how great they are!

As for Freedom of Speech, that refers to a restraint against government restraining speech. It has nothing to do with inviting people to speak someplace, or uninviting them, or telling the truth about a speaker as you introduce him.