Thursday, September 07, 2006

Thank God for Mitt Romney!

As we approach the 5th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, we not only have to again face the reality of that tragedy - face our daily lives in the knowledge that thousands of survivor's lives now have a gaping hole in them - but now we must also face the reality that there are those among us who feel very differently about September 11th than the majority of us do.

I'm speaking of the officials and event planners and administrators at Harvard University, who are responsible for inviting former Iranian President Khatami to address the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. Khatami will be delivering a speech entitled the "Ethics of Tolerance in the Age of Violence," this Sunday. While it might have been considered simply a stupid oversight to invite Khatami at all, it is a perversion to extend the invitation at a time so close to the anniversary of the most savage terrorist attack in the history of the world! And to have Khatami lecture Americans on the "ethics of tolerance" just adds an additional knife wound, to the scar tissue that has barely healed over!

Let me see if I can describe how savagely perverse I think this affront to all Americans is....
During his time as President and afterward, Khatami has called Israel "a parasite in the heart of the Muslim world." Khatami openly and happily embraces Hezbollah, and has had the unmitigated gall to call the United States, "a terrorist nation."

Inviting Khatami to lecture any American is like asking Adolph Hitler to address Parliament during the blitz of London; it's like asking Saddam Hussein to address a Kurdish Pride conference! The only thing that may possibly be worse will happen soon enough - when current Iranian President Ahmadinejad arrives to speak at the United Nations! When did the United States turn into the Iranian Political Road Show?

Thank God that there are some in Massachusetts like Gov. Mitt Romney, who haven't lost their sense of decency or patriotism. Yesterday Governor Romney told all of his state directed agencies "not to lift one finger" or expend one dime to welcome or protect the former Iranian President. When he was asked by the symposium organizers what about President Khatami's safety, he told them (in not so many words), that if they or the President were worried about his safety, they shouldn't have invited him here!

Way to go Gov. Mitt! Finally someone in Massachusetts with some sense and "cahonnes!"

Being a society based upon the freedom of speech for everyone, we're used to hearing bizarre and outrageous tirades from Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry. We're used to having our President and his Cabinet members called every foul name in the book - in public - and on every news channel. We've steeled ourselves to seeing our National emblem, our flag, burned in the streets of our own country. Last year we were even treated to the delightful revelation that Yale University has a token Taliban on campus - (this years incoming class composition is yet to show increased Taliban matriculation). So I guess it was only a matter of time before Harvard fired a volley across its Ivy League competitor's bow in the spirit of one-upsmanship. What's next? Could a "folk concert" by the al-Quada Quartet featuring Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri be far behind?

Thank you Gov. Romney for standing up for what's right...to say nothing of being the only one in Massachusetts government to use a little common sense, and have respect for our dead hero's and their grieving families.

With respect,

"Duty Bound"

Dum Spiro Spero




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