View From The Middle
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Columbia U. And The Bill Of Rights
By Charles Rogers

Well, the shouting is just about over. The New York Police Department guards are doing their jobs excellently - and what a job it is! And the diplomats are doing what they're supposed to do and as soon as that man gets outta town we can all breathe a little easier.

Of course, I'm talking about all the big wheels from around the world at the meeting of the United Nation's General Assembly, most especially Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, so-called Master Terrorist and leader of the worst of the Axis of Evils exponents; the man who wants to put Israel out of existence and who is the foremost advocate of denying the Holocaust ever happened.

He also has a last name that every newsman or newswoman on television and radio or any other audio communication facility is just dying to say over the air (Look, folks! I'm able to pronounce "Ahmadinejad!" Say it again: "Ahmadinejad!" Say it again:…etc., etc.).

He's here because he spoke at the U.N., where he spew his rhetoric condemning the United States, Israel and any other part of the world that does not follow his tilted teachings. But at that venue he said nothing more than what was expected; nothing more than the usual tired platitudes..

Ah, but what headlines he has made! This was front page stuff! A public relations coup! First, he let word get out - before he left Teheran - that he wanted to visit Ground Zero while he was in New York. Our precious Ground Zero. Our hallowed Ground Zero.

When the city administration heard that, they almost choked. "We can't have that!" some said. "This would denigrate that special place," others joined in, me included.

A voice of reason, that of Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, wavered for only about two seconds and said, "We can't have him go down there because it's too dangerous. It's dangerous because of what he is and what he means, but also because the site is under construction and therefore…" He didn't have to finish that sentence, although others finished it for him: "therefore, a hammer could fall on his head - by accident, of course."

The request for Whatsisname to visit Ground Zero, therefore, was officially denied by the NYPD, the Secret Service and the Port Authority Police, all who have jurisdiction in this case (the Secret Service has to guard Ahmadinejad as part of their duties to safeguard any head of state).

However, during his visit, he had been invited by the president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, to speak at the World Leaders Forum and attend a question-answer session with students and faculty Monday. This threw our own people into conniptions again as they asked Bollinger, "What the hell are you doing?" To which he replied (paraphrased, essentially), "It's a free country."

To his academic way of thinking, Bollinger's reasoning was rational. He felt that, by students - and faculty - raising the questions about Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust to his face, with appropriate facts, it might make the little man look foolish; the same for the annihilation of Israel; and The Bomb - Oh, yes, The Bomb.

By allowing him to speak and be questioned at one of our better institutes of learning, the Iranian leader might have given himself a platform from which to voice his propaganda (or whatever). If this was a thought of expanding his own public relations, it had to be noted that Columbia University took the high road by inviting him - to look like a fool.

A perplexing turn of events came about, however, when the speaker of the State Assembly, Sheldon Silver, said that legislative body might consider withholding public funding from Columbia for allowing Ahmadinejad to speak.

Say what?

Frankly, this turn of events is more than perplexing. I mean, what kind of country is this, where a legislative body threatens to cite an institute of learning for practicing precisely what our democratic form of government is all about? It's called Freedom of Speech, in case you didn't know. It was an excellent chance given to Ahmadinejad to bury himself and look like a fool, but Silver didn't see it that way.

Never mind, though. By purposely insulting Ahmadinejad when he introduced him, Bollinger made his amends. He pacified Silver and kissed the legislator's, uh, ring and, in his own way, probably got out from under the blanket of protocol reserved for university presidents.

As a result, Ahmadinejad didn't look as bad as he could, had Bollinger just said, "Here he is, folks. Draw your own conclusions."