Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Madness

I love the headline of today's New York Daily News:

The Evil Has Landed

That's an accurate description of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is New York City for two days. Ahmadinejad denies the historicity of the holocaust, openly espouses the destruction of Israel, believes he will usher in the Islamic version of the end times, is secretly trying to build a nuclear bomb, is fighting a proxy war with the United States in Iraq-- and for all this, he gets invited to speak at Columbia University.

The AP reports:

Columbia's invitation has drawn howls from politicians, religious groups and other organizations. But the university has not backed down, and its president, Lee Bollinger has promised to grill Ahmadinejad on subjects such as human rights, the Holocaust and Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Bollinger is president of a major American university, so I presume he's a pretty smart guy. But where is the wisdom in giving a forum to an evil lying fool?

Who is more stupid? The fool who speaks? Or, the person who thinks he can reason with him?

As the great social critic G.K. Chesterton once observed, "It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them."

Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia brings to mind a few choice Proverbs about fools who speak and fools who listen to them:

"Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool." Proverbs 26:1

"Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips." Proverbs 14:7

"Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." Proverbs 23:9

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." Proverbs 18:2

"He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin." Proverbs 10:10

C0lumbia is an Ivy League school?

I say, Poison Ivy.