2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial
Iranian president tastes free speech, spews hate
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Opinions
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There are legal limits to free speech.
For example, someone doesn't have a right to walk into a crowded movie theater and shout "There's a fire!" when there really isn't one, and someone doesn't have the right to reveal troop movements during a time of war.
And while some argue other forms of speech should be outlawed as well, such as blatant hate speech, the First Amendment has stood up against the test of time.
However, some of those First Amendment protections were put under scrutiny recently when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to speak at Columbia University.
Ahmadinejad was invited by Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who was hit with a melee of controversy not only over the invitation, but the opening remarks he made when introducing Ahmadinejad to the podium.
Bollinger called Ahmadinejad a "petty and cruel dictator" and shamed him for denying the Holocaust and persecuting women and homosexuals.
While the way in which Bollinger chose to make his statements was immature and tacky, the biggest fault Bollinger made was inviting the homophobic, racist, sexist and anti-Semitic man in the first place.
Ahmadinejad is afforded every right to free speech, even though he would be the first to take away those rights from those he opposes or hates, but he doesn't have any God given right to speak on an American campus.
As a paper which flourishes under its First Amendment rights, and places a high value on its purpose, Bollinger still made a grave error in judgement in allowing Ahmadinejad a platform to spew his hate.
Ahmadinejad should have been left to make a mockery of himself back in his own country, instead of being aided in making a mockery of this one.
For example, someone doesn't have a right to walk into a crowded movie theater and shout "There's a fire!" when there really isn't one, and someone doesn't have the right to reveal troop movements during a time of war.
And while some argue other forms of speech should be outlawed as well, such as blatant hate speech, the First Amendment has stood up against the test of time.
However, some of those First Amendment protections were put under scrutiny recently when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to speak at Columbia University.
Ahmadinejad was invited by Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who was hit with a melee of controversy not only over the invitation, but the opening remarks he made when introducing Ahmadinejad to the podium.
Bollinger called Ahmadinejad a "petty and cruel dictator" and shamed him for denying the Holocaust and persecuting women and homosexuals.
While the way in which Bollinger chose to make his statements was immature and tacky, the biggest fault Bollinger made was inviting the homophobic, racist, sexist and anti-Semitic man in the first place.
Ahmadinejad is afforded every right to free speech, even though he would be the first to take away those rights from those he opposes or hates, but he doesn't have any God given right to speak on an American campus.
As a paper which flourishes under its First Amendment rights, and places a high value on its purpose, Bollinger still made a grave error in judgement in allowing Ahmadinejad a platform to spew his hate.
Ahmadinejad should have been left to make a mockery of himself back in his own country, instead of being aided in making a mockery of this one.