Originally published on the CGS blog on September 24, 2007.
The Washington Times, too many presidential candidates, and far too many bloggers (to even hyperlink one) were less than supportive of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to NYC, including speeches at United Nations and Columbia University.
Honestly, I just don’t understand what all the commotion is about. The Bush Adminsitration has eviscerated the U.S. Constitution, but we still nominally have the right to free speech, so let the bad man speak. Not because you agree with the cruel, hateful, intolerant, ridiculous ideas and policies he has to offer (and they are all too often cruel, hateful, intolerant, ridiculous ideas and policies), but because you know that those ideas will never stand the rigor of intellectual exploration and scientific investigation. No Holocaust? No homosexuality? And so on and so forth.
Must we, once again, go to Hollywood for a lesson in democracy and American values? For today’s lesson, not just any America-hatin’, (probably) flag-burnin’, non-traditional-family supportin’ liberal will do either. We need, none other than, pre-West Wing Aaron Sorkin! Without futher ado, I give you The American President…
In case you missed the money quote, here it is again:
America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.
Although his opening remarks lacked restraint and courtesy for a guest of the university (no matter how “petty and cruel a dictator” the man may be), Columbia President Lee Bollinger got it right in the end — “When you come to a place like this, this makes you quite simply ridiculous. You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated.” (Read more.) That’s right, President Bollinger, keep advocating at the top of your lungs against this man whose words make your blood boil. We need more discussion, not less. We need more critical thinking, not less. We need more citizens exploring democracy and its responsibilities, not less. We need more reason and rationality, not less. We need to raise our voices, not silence others.
All Americans and Iranians who want more freedom, peace, and prosperity must join together and demand it from our respective leaders. Why? Because we all need more peace, not less.
