Iranian hustle: When this president talks, we should not listen

There has been much talking about Columbia University’s decision to allow Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadi-nejad to speak to its students.

And while the debate is interesting to listen to, the fact that so many people do not seem to get why this is a bad idea is mind-boggling.

This man is a tyrant, a butcher and a racist intent on destroying opponents. Why would we give him a stage at one of this nation’s most prestigious universities?

Columbia officials say they are using this as a teachable moment for their students — a chance for them to question a controversial world leader.

They claim the exchange will highlight his inappropriate policies to his people and to the world.

Fat chance. What will happen is his appearance at what is well-known as a top American university will be spun to advance his effort to claim legitimacy on the world stage.

That is not worth the education that students should already have received about this man’s policies and world aspirations.

Let the professionals handle this one. They are better-suited to the kind of intense exchange that is necessary to weed through rhetoric and political speak and to expose this man for what he is.

Published in Editorials on September 24, 2007 12:51 PM