Quick Takes: Rhetoric and Protest at Columbia, Education Dept. Unveils College Search Site, Genius Grants, What the CDC Missed, Berry Settles Rape Suit, Freshman Charged in Shootings, Student Satisfaction Gaps, Campus Visits, ACC Impact

I am not here to promote the views of the Iranian President but it was thoroughly disgusting to watch how Mr. Bollinger conducted himself. I wonder where he learned to arbitrate. By the way, it shows his character, sic.

America preaches to the world to how the rest of us should adopt her ways and boast of liberties & rights but hearing the President of Columbia University, I wonder if someone can teach him simple courtesies, decency of conduct and common sense. Please note that it is wrong to invite someone as a guest and disrespect him so outright. Read the biography of the Prophet of Islam and learn how he conducted himself even in front of adversaries.

Finally, here is something for the President of Columbia University – “Mr. Bollinger, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel tyrant. You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated. I do expect you to exhibit the fanatical mindset that characterizes so much of what you say and do. I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these or change yourself”. His own words slightly modified.

Mohi M. Marikar, at 7:15 am EDT on September 25, 2007

A Coward Tries to Have it Both Ways

First, let’s stipulate that Mr. Ahmadinejad is a bigoted, Holocaust-denying lowlife. That doesn’t change the fact that he was an invited guest of Columbia University. Columbia didn’t have to invite him. There is no affirmative obligation to invite just anyone to speak on your campus. I would reject speaking engagements by, among others, Ahmadinejad, David Duke, and the anti-immigrant Minutemen. You would probably have your own list.

Nevertheless, once a speaker is invited, the president of the university ought to make a choice: either express his or her displeasure by boycotting the address, or show up and act the part of the host by introducing, rather than insulting, the evening’s speaker. This sort of behavior opens the door to all sorts of presidential excess. It was, regardless of the target, a classless act on the part of Mr. Bollinger.

It was also a cowardly act. We already know that Bollinger lacked the guts to deny Ahmadinejad a forum at Columbia, if that was, in fact, his preference. His introductory remarks further reveal that he lacks the courage to stand up to the political and media criticism of his decision to allow Ahmadinejad to speak. Whatever his true feelings, it seems clear that Bollinger’s primary objective yesterday was to score a cheap PR victory In the end, his was a craven act, unbecoming of the president of a great university.

Unapologetically Tenured, at 8:00 am EDT on September 25, 2007

Bob, Did you listen to A’s speach or just B’s intro?

“Ahamadinejad calling for civility and respect” Bob, what speach did you watch? I mean, the guy again denied the holacost and then actually stated that there were no gays in Iran (this in the face of admissions via public executions of them) and that woman have great rights. To me these statements of crimes against people is far, far worst than B’s (admitedly boorish and rude) introduction.

I hope you don’t teach and are just trolling given this total lack of balance in your views.

JohnN, at 9:50 am EDT on September 25, 2007

Columbia

It is enough that I feel I have to tell the world that Mr Bush does not represent us all, now I have to say the same about the president of Columbia. Yet another rude American. With his vitriol, he succeeded in deflecting the attention of the students, faculty, and media away from the issues raised by the president of Iran and in presenting him as a somewhat sympathetic figure (which is a totally inaccurate reflection of the man).Columbia University has been represented very poorly in a world forum — something its Trustees should consider.

Rita, at 10:00 am EDT on September 25, 2007

Columbia

If Bush were to speak at Columbia I would certainly expect Bollinger to challenge him on his decisions and inconsistencies regarding Iraq. Why would I expect less when he stands before Ahmdinejad? When inviting one to speak at a forum, what is wrong with asking that person to address particular topics? Bollinger supported his faculty and academic freedom by having Amdinejad on campus, and exercised his own right to freedom of speech as well. I applaud him on both counts.

DJH, at 11:20 am EDT on September 25, 2007

COLUMBIA

>>Why would I expect less when he stands before Ahmdinejad? When inviting one to speak at a forum, what is wrong with asking that person to address particular topics?

Unfortunately, that is not what Bollinger did. Instead of asking Ahmadinejad about, or even directly and forcefully challenging him regarding specific policies or practices of the Iranian government, Bollinger simply resorted to petty and meaningless name-calling. A pathetic performance all around.

Al, at 12:55 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

Excellent comments ACF. To the extent that it is a “world economy” with the US remaining an attractive and open society we should be able to draw educated men from countries that do not practice discrimination against males in higher education; that is already happening in many fields perhaps including yours. But as you ask where do the American men go? What are the implications for our society and why should male voters support a higher education system in this country that this survey showed (as many already knew) does not attract and welcome them? U.S. men are voting against higher education with their feet, can voting at the ballot box be far behind?

Wake-up call, at 1:20 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

Columbia

Since when has it been the role of the university to support and promote foreign policy?! Since when have we not allowed inquiry and difficult discussion to happen on campus?! We invite pro-lifers, evolutionists, homophobes, sexists, racists, Zionists and all other kinds of ass-backwards speakers to campus — why not Ahmedinejad?! And futhermore, President Bollinger was inhospitable, rude, and a coward. You do not ever speak to a guest at your institution like that ... EVER. How uncouth, undiplomatic, and plain simple of him. No amount of intellectual fluff can veil rudeness. If he wanted to ask questions, then the way to do it would have been to take questions from the audience and read them in a most diplomatic manner that upholds the ideal of civility that is promoted in academia. But the way he did it was pathetic.

Doc student, Doctoral Student at Penn State, at 2:05 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

“Ahamadinejad, supposedly a fundamentalist Muslim, insisting that human knowledge is not absolute, and that further research is needed in every field”

I seek further debate over whether the Earth is flat. I hope I can count on some of you guys to support me. I know some arrogant Westerners today believe they have absolute knowledge of this, just like the Holocaust, but we have to be braver and more inquiring.

“that America has no interest in fairly debating the issues because Americans know that in any orderly debate they would lose”

When you disagree with our government, at least we don’t stone you.

I didn’t respect Bollinger much before this — don’t respect him that much now, but if you don’t like what somebody says about you, rule number one is to make sure it’s not true.

Here’s some other views of Ahmadinejad, our brave paragon of academic debate, that he didn’t get around to voicing yesterday:

Demise of US, Israel Imminent

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mualem here on Tuesday assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8511030486 (Iranian News Agency)

“Today, the Iranian people is [sic] the owner of nuclear technology. Those who want to talk with our people should know what people they are talking to. If some believe they can keep talking to the Iranian people in the language of threats and aggressiveness, they should know that they are making a bitter mistake. If they have not realized this by now, they soon will, but then it will be too late. Then they will realize that they are facing a vigilant, proud people."-Ahmadinejad, August 1, 2006

“If you would like to have good relations with the Iranian nation in the future bow down before the greatness of the Iranian nation and surrender. If you don’t accept [to do this], the Iranian nation will later force you to surrender and bow down.” -Ahmadinejad,

“They ask: ‘Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism?’ But you had best know that this slogan and this goal are attainable, and surely can be achieved” -Mahmoud Ahmadinejad October 28, 2005

SB, at 4:15 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

Columbia

The President of Iran can spew frothing-at-the-mouth anti-Americanism at the rest of the world for years and expect to be treated like an “honored guest", but the President of Columbia University puting this Nazi on the spot in his own house is a crime? My God, do you people hate (or envy) America so much that nothing an American can do or say is right?

Dr. Bollinger was under no obligation whatsoever to make that idiot feel welcome. He did it for the benefit of his students, not the benefit of the idiot. I think he made that quite clear. And if the President of Iran expected to be treated like an honored guest, that just supports my claim to his idiocy.

Jon L. Albee, Graduate Student at Rice University, at 4:30 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

hey, at least one president in this country had the spine to invite Ahmadinejad over for a chat.

student, at 9:15 pm EDT on September 25, 2007

Response to Larry

Larry, my response to Mr. Albee’s comments can be found above on my first contribution to this thread. It’s not a question of being right or wrong. I believe that Mr. Bollinger was boorish and cowardly; others think otherwise. I have no problem with that.

There is, however, something very wrong with slurring people with whom you disagree by suggesting that they “hate America". It is the rhetorical tactic of a bully and it deserves no respect. If Mr. Albee can do no better than impugn the patriotism of his adversaries, then we should deal with him accordingly. For what it’s worth, however, my comments weren’t entirely intended as an insult: I do truly hope that his experience at a first-rate university teaches him better intellectual habits. I would be very disappointed if one of my students left my department and university unable to distinguish between dissent over policy and hatred of one’s country.

Unapologetically Tenured, at 7:55 am EDT on September 26, 2007

Bollinger’s introduction of Ahmadinejad was in sharp contrast to his toadying introduction of another dictator, Musharraf, in Sept. 2005. Seehttp://www.distantocean.com/2007/09/lee-bollinger-f.html

bob, at 12:05 pm EDT on September 27, 2007