IT IS ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH...AND ALSO SILLY: HOROWITZ AT EMORY

David Horowitz is a bonafide right-wing philosopher and political writer who is well-known for his opposition to ideas which he does not like. Who else can write a book endorsed by Pat Robertson named "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America" and also "How to Beat the Democrats and Other Subversive Ideas", that seems to be straight from an Orwellian world to me. He was at Emory University yesterday to give a talk. Unfortunately I was not aware of this and did not go. But what happened apparently was that a group of students protested loudly even before his talk began and in fact did not allow him to speak at all. The incident was covered- surprise- by Fox News among others.

This is sort of silly, and I have reiterated this point about Ahmadinejad at Columbia too. Either you invite someone and allow them to talk, or do you don't invite them. But inviting them and then prohibiting them to speak at all is conduct unbecoming of those who epitomise themselves as the lofty upholders of democratic ideals. Just kidding. It's just plainly silly. I don't think there was anything wrong in protesting Horowitz; I dislike him as much as any of critics. But now that you have had your chance, allow the man to speak. Let freedom of speech be two way (even if perhaps 80:20...). Isn't free speech about allowing precisely those people whom we despise, to express their views? Heavens of heavens, I am with Bill O'Reilly on this one (although for very different reasons naturally)