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October 11, 2006
Seva asks, why does Columbia U shoot itself in the foot?
It's a good bet that Columbia U rescinded public invitations to Walid Shoebat's talk at least in part because they feared a repeat of last week's semi-brawl over the Minutemen appearance. This amounts to intimidation by violence, the same tactic used by Islamist groups to prevent publications and hound citizens into hiding and extract special favors from Western governments.
Shoebat wrote before the event tonight:
It is interesting to note that the official line of the Arab Student groups on campus is not to protest against us peacefully or even to turn up. Yet last week they choose to participate in a violent onslaught regarding a subject that is not directly relevant to their cause," says Shoebat, President of the Walid Shoebat Foundation. [He refers to the sign in Arabic at the Minutemen speech.] "This should prove that standing up to intimidation and bullies is the only option on campus and in the free world."Ironically, it wasn't the Arab student groups which shut him up, but the university's fear of an amalgam of student groups repeating the "violent onslaught" of the previous week. Thus the university takes the heat while the bullying students are supported by the National Lawyers Guild (former professional association of convicted terrorist-enabler and colleague of Cindy Sheehan, Lynne Stewart).Tonight's event is for renewing Freedom of Speech and for hearing the inspiring stories of three brave individuals who will shed light on the dangers that face the Free World today.
Seva Brodsky is still emailing from his PDA as his bus trundles across Connecticutt and Massachusetts, and he rubs it in:
Dear Jewelnel and President Bollinger:Here is the latest compendium of URL links (which is ever growing, and fast, as the blogs and other media outlets are picking up the story), which have to do with a fresh little new scandal brewing at Columbia U. -- take a look at the comments, too:
http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archives/009290.shtml
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2006/10/columbia_uninvi.html
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=22927_CU_Shuts_Doors_at_Last_Minute#c0043
http://dailyinfidel.blogspot.com/2006/10/columbia-offends-pro-israel-community.html
http://dailyinfidel.blogspot.com/2006/10/unbecoming-columbia-bars-public-from.html
http://www.keshertalk.com/archives/2006/10/avoiding_politi.php
http://www.keshertalk.com/archives/2006/10/columbiashoebat.php
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/006103.htm
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1160624638.shtmlFreedom of speech, academic integrity, intellectual honesty, tolerance and opennes to different ideas -- my foot ...
President Bollinger, just to bring you up to date, below is what I wrote in response to the cancellation notice I received none too soon earlier today (Wed., 11 Oct. 2006).
If my memory serves me correctly, just a couple days back you promised to investigate the violations of the First Amendment on your campus in re the Minutemen at Columbia -- see the following articles, inter alia: Columbia Faces New Challenges By GOP Group; or from the venerable NYT, Columbia Investigating Protests That Stopped Speaker -- I take it you didn't live up to the challenge and didn't complete your investigation. I guess you just didn't have enough time to sort out that mess, and puffff, here's another one.
Not like you didn't know about tonight's event in advance, though. So how come you didn't take measures to ensure openness, fairness, pluralism, tolerance, law and order, and all such wonderful democratic things? I am sure you realize that such behavior by one of the premier American universities would not go unnoticed, and that such climate of political correctness will drive away some of the brighter and more inquisitive and talented students from your formerly esteemed school.
Why do you keep doing this? Why do you repeatedly shoot yourselves in the foot? What purpose do you have in mind, and what goals are you trying to achieve with such totalitarian approach to the marketplace of ideas?
Puzzled and befuddled,
Seva Brodsky
Many more examples of Columbia shooting itself in the foot (in case we'd forgotten):
The "Columbia Unbecoming" controversy in Columbia's Middle East Studies Dept., and the conference it led to.
The stacked deck of a commission convened to investigate the alleged abuses.
The NYTimes acts as a flack for the university by publishing the administration's position without reporting that of the students.
Yet more turf-defending by professors.
Avoiding an open debate on ROTC.
Dean Lisa Anderson taking bribes from the Saudis, installing incompetent and bigoted professors, and inviting murderous dictators to speak.
An academic fiefdom which protects shoddy scholarship.
"A million Mogadishus."
If you have other examples, leave them in the comments with links to sources.
Judith | 10/11/06 at 11:58 PM | Categories: - Wackademia
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Comments
"It is interesting to note that the official line of the Arab Student groups on campus is not to protest against us peacefully or even to turn up." -- Walid Shoebat.
But wait, it only gets worse:
An illuminating posting at Columbia's Blue and White Blog (the undergrad magazine), www.bwog.net/index.php?page=post&article_id=2325 (by way of www.solomonia.com/blog/archives/009290.shtml) states, inter alia:
Item # 1: The Republicans are going ahead with their event Wednesday evening featuring ex-PLO jihadist Walid Shoebat, along with a former Lebanese terrorist and a member of the Hitler Youth. The headliner--whom Princeton didn't even allow to speak--may even be more wacko than Gilchrist, and this time, they're not taking any chances. If you want to go, RSVP soon at the CU GOP website, where you may reserve and print out one (1) ticket in advance--but you might be lonely. Chabad brought Shoebat to Columbia in 2004, but this time around Hillel hasn't even put it on their online calendar, and word is that other student groups are planning on boycotting the event entirely. "We want pretty pictures of empty chairs," said one Bwog source. "Forty people attend, and the thing collapses."
Yes, Sol, malice aforethought indeed.
Seva Brodsky | October 12, 2006 02:07 AM
