Columbia University Says "No!" to ROTC but "Yes!" To Terrorists

Posted By Blackfive

Update 09-24-07 after the lecture:  President Bollinger did very well in questioning President Ahmadinedjad.  I still think that Columbia should not have asked him to lecture based on the post below.

While attending the University of Chicago, I saw a lot of dissent against the US government before and after 9/11, but I didn't see a terrorist invited to lecture there (there's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere about my sadistic Advanced Algorithms prof...never mind).  That's what universities are for...open forums for a lot of dialog...and sometimes the ones in the dialog are nuts, but students and faculty will be students and faculty.  However, does Columbia University really expect an open dialog with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?  Do the students?  Do you?

In response to a Commenter (original post by Deebow) who obviously has never read the Constitution of the United States of America (could you at least read the First Amendment before throwing the "You deny Free Speech, you Fascist Nazis!" flag?), I commented about the real issue. 

Free speech is established to protect you (and your religious views) from your government. That means, if President Ahmadinejad was a citizen and wanted to shout about Islam in the park, he has the freedom to do it within the guidelines set forth by law (including the First Amendment).

That does not mean that he has the right to speak at Columbia (nor do you for that matter), or, as another example, post an opinion on a blog like Blackfive.

The fact that the funder and trainer of Hezbollah murderers, and puppet master of Syrian terror in Lebanon, gets to speak at one of our hallowed institutions is unthinkable.  They are legitimizing a terrorist master and killer of American soldiers during war time.  They are without shame or, it appears, honor.

The bottom-line:

Columbia University shut out ROTC which trains American citizen volunteers to defend this country and their very institution, and then allows the Tehran terrorist responsible for killing Americans in Iraq and who has stated that he wants to destroy America to "talk" on campus.

THAT. IS. AN. OUTRAGE.

Yes, it's personal - those are my brothers and sisters that he's actually killing in Iraq and my wife and kids that he wants to destroy here.  If President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had his way, Columbia University would be the first large Islamic school (Madh'hab or Madrassa) in America.  They understand that.

It seems that Columbia University is the Neville Chamberlain of the Ivy League.

Update:  From the Comments there might need to be some clarification (in order to lay proper scunion down on some):

Note 1:  Allowing that man to lecture at Columbia is not giving the Iranians a taste of freedom.  Come on, you don't really believe that, do you?  It's giving a terrorist a platform of legitimacy and an oportunity to continue doing his evil work.  I can't believe anyone would try to make that ridiculous argument.

Note 2:  "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" doesn't really work.  Uncle Jimbo and I agree on this one.  I know that some of you don't agree.  Gryph's point in the comments below is that ending DADT takes away the argument most colleges and universities have made for denying ROTC on campus.  Having students attend ROTC at another nearby school is not the same thing (as one commenter tries to explain) as allowing it on campus. It's either allowed and supported on campus or it's not.  And it is not at Columbia.

Note 3:  The Irony of all of this is that the Commenters and Bloggers that are misquoting the Constitution and supporting a school allowing a murderer, a terrorist and a madman to lecture at a university that denies ROTC which produces the soldiers that take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.      

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Comments

Columbia University Says "No!" to ROTC but "Yes!" To Terrorists

Update 09-24-07 after the lecture:  President Bollinger did very well in questioning President Ahmadinedjad.  I still think that Columbia should not have asked him to lecture based on the post below.

While attending the University of Chicago, I saw a lot of dissent against the US government before and after 9/11, but I didn't see a terrorist invited to lecture there (there's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere about my sadistic Advanced Algorithms prof...never mind).  That's what universities are for...open forums for a lot of dialog...and sometimes the ones in the dialog are nuts, but students and faculty will be students and faculty.  However, does Columbia University really expect an open dialog with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?  Do the students?  Do you?

In response to a Commenter (original post by Deebow) who obviously has never read the Constitution of the United States of America (could you at least read the First Amendment before throwing the "You deny Free Speech, you Fascist Nazis!" flag?), I commented about the real issue. 

Free speech is established to protect you (and your religious views) from your government. That means, if President Ahmadinejad was a citizen and wanted to shout about Islam in the park, he has the freedom to do it within the guidelines set forth by law (including the First Amendment).

That does not mean that he has the right to speak at Columbia (nor do you for that matter), or, as another example, post an opinion on a blog like Blackfive.

The fact that the funder and trainer of Hezbollah murderers, and puppet master of Syrian terror in Lebanon, gets to speak at one of our hallowed institutions is unthinkable.  They are legitimizing a terrorist master and killer of American soldiers during war time.  They are without shame or, it appears, honor.

The bottom-line:

Columbia University shut out ROTC which trains American citizen volunteers to defend this country and their very institution, and then allows the Tehran terrorist responsible for killing Americans in Iraq and who has stated that he wants to destroy America to "talk" on campus.

THAT. IS. AN. OUTRAGE.

Yes, it's personal - those are my brothers and sisters that he's actually killing in Iraq and my wife and kids that he wants to destroy here.  If President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had his way, Columbia University would be the first large Islamic school (Madh'hab or Madrassa) in America.  They understand that.

It seems that Columbia University is the Neville Chamberlain of the Ivy League.

Update:  From the Comments there might need to be some clarification (in order to lay proper scunion down on some):

Note 1:  Allowing that man to lecture at Columbia is not giving the Iranians a taste of freedom.  Come on, you don't really believe that, do you?  It's giving a terrorist a platform of legitimacy and an oportunity to continue doing his evil work.  I can't believe anyone would try to make that ridiculous argument.

Note 2:  "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" doesn't really work.  Uncle Jimbo and I agree on this one.  I know that some of you don't agree.  Gryph's point in the comments below is that ending DADT takes away the argument most colleges and universities have made for denying ROTC on campus.  Having students attend ROTC at another nearby school is not the same thing (as one commenter tries to explain) as allowing it on campus. It's either allowed and supported on campus or it's not.  And it is not at Columbia.

Note 3:  The Irony of all of this is that the Commenters and Bloggers that are misquoting the Constitution and supporting a school allowing a murderer, a terrorist and a madman to lecture at a university that denies ROTC which produces the soldiers that take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.      

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