The right call

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is joining the long list of controversial leaders who have walked the streets of New York City on diplomatic immunity prior to speaking at the United Nations. Yet, the Iranian leader created a firestorm before he even landed on American soil, with a request to visit Ground Zero to pay his respects. Furthermore, he had been invited to speak at Columbia University as a part of their World Leaders Forum. For those who do not know who Ahmadinejad is, he is currently the President of Iran. He has been highly antagonistic to American interests with his actions and his words. Beyond his criticism of America, he is noted for calling the Holocaust a myth and even going far enough to host a panel of Holocaust deniers in his nation. Publicly, Ahmadinejad has called for the destruction of the state of Israel. His actions as President of Iran have certainly been detrimental to the American effort in Iraq.

Although he is not the most powerful man in his country (it is the religious clerics who run Iran's government), his conservative policies have strained American/Iranian relations, which were making progress under the previous, more liberal President.

The New York Police Department made the right decision upon denying his request to visit Ground Zero. The official reason was for security concerns. In reality, it was that it was inconceivable for our nation to let this man anywhere near where the World Trade Center stood.

His country is responsible for funding and supporting numerous terrorist organizations throughout the world. It would be a complete hypocrisy for him to "pay his respects" at Ground Zero. Perhaps the best decision would have been to let him go to the World Trade Center, minus the security, and let Ahmadinejad face the angry crowds in New York City. They would have given him a taste of a nation where people are free to act without fear, especially of being abused by their government. Hordes of angry New Yorkers would have done more than keep him away from Ground Zero.

Despite protests, Columbia University went ahead with the decision to let him speak at their campus. It was agreed that he must face a question and answer session that would challenge his controversial stances on America, Israel, and the Holocaust. I agree with Columbia's decision to let him speak. This is a free country. We will listen to everyone's ideas. In Ahmadinejad's case, we will listen to his ideas and then tear him to pieces about the foolishness of his words. He will succeed in doing nothing but presenting Iran as a backward nation, and further the resistance against his leadership.

Hopefully, the intelligent people who populate the streets of Iran will realize the downfalls of the people who currently govern them and represent them to the rest of the world.

New York is the greatest city in the world. It should feel honored to get the right to host the United Nations and all of the leaders from various countries. Yet, diplomatic immunity only goes so far. Letting Ahmadinejad speak was a good decision; keeping him as far away from Ground Zero as possible was an even better one.