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Jerry Varner of Colorado Springs writes:

Clarence Page says in his column of Sep. 28th that he “disagree(s) with Ahmadinejad, but that’s precisely why I want him to be heard.” It is nice that Page disagrees with state-sponsored terrorism, religious imperialism, oppression of political opponents and minorities, holocaust denial, the destruction of Israel, and the murder of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. But Page, Columbia President Lee Bollinger, President Bush and anyone who supports Ahmadinejad’s alleged free speech rights need a lesson in debate 101. When one side in a debate concedes a false premise, the debate is lost before it has begun.
The premise of Ahmadinejad’s visit to Columbia was that he is a legitimate head of state. Notwithstanding Iran’s pretense at representative government, Ahmadinejad rules by force not by rule of law. But he has no right to rule the Iranian people since there can be no such thing as the right to violate rights. Therefore, he has no right to promote his dictatorship at a public forum in a free country.
The debate should not have been over the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad’s ideas; no rational person supports them anyway. The debate should have been over whether he has any rights as a head of state. But once that premise was conceded, Ahmadinejad’s rant became just another man’s opinions, as valid as any other man’s. And President Bollinger’s critical words, in the minds of many confused people, became unfair adhominem attacks.
The only proper response to Ahmadinejad’s visit would have been to arrest him and put him on trial as the criminal that he is.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Wow, what a list. Let's just change a word or two and see if this doesn't accurately describe the current US adminstration: "state-sponsored terrorism, religious imperialism, oppression of political opponents and minorities, denial, the destruction of Iraq, and the murder of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians." It appears the president of Iran learned his trade from our own neo-cons.

Clarence Page is a typical liberal minority buffoon that doesn't know if he's coming or going. Yes a mind is a terrible thing to waste but higher education in the hands of a person who as an arrested devolpment type of mentality is a waste and down right pitiful.
Another of these quota college graduates is Paul Campos. In his case not only is it pitiful but downright dangerous as he is allowed to teach his sort of intellectual tripe.

When I see Clarence Page on a roundtable discussion I have to laugh and at the same time get embarrassed for this mental midget.
Someboby has to because he too dense to be embarrassed for himself.

Sorry to break this to you, Jerry, but the president of Iran is actually third in command in Iran. The Ayatollah is number 1, followed by the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, and then is the president. It's kind of hard for a subordinate to be a "dictator", since he still has to answer to other people above him.

When you get your facts straight, come back and be indignant. Now it is quite unjustified.

J

Well knock me over with a feather, a liberal wanting to re-write something to mean something else!
Kind of like History, The Constitution andThe Bill of Rights.

What's a Leftist to do when the truth smacks them in the face?

What's a "Neo-Con"?
Is that like another silly liberal buzz word.

It doesn't seem to have quite the same sting as left wing pinko socialist.

I'll take President I'm-a-nutjob's human rights record over Bush's any day. Nutjob has 0 bodybags to his credit. Bush invaded "The Middle EAst Plantation", in an oil grab and exterminated unsuspecting Arabs. Saddam unleashed chemical weapons on Kurds. Bush unleashed them on Sunnis and Shiites. Nut-job isn't a felonious UCMJ AWOLee and deserter either.

Who would deny Ahmandinejad his right to speak in the U.S.? Anyone who disagrees with him can have their turn. It's in the 1st Amendment.

Whether you agree with him or not, he should be afforded the opportunity to say his piece. Good for the U.S. of A,! He said what he thought and few cared for his diatribe. But we showed some respect. No one was imprionsed or died from it. Maybe he'll learn something from it.

Now THERE'S a concept.Show a demagogue respect and he'll show you a buffoon-himself.

Poor 3:43 doesn't know what a Neo Con is. well lets start with "sanctimonious frauds who are willing to sacrifice this country."

A proud left wing pinko socialist

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