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A few years ago I heard Hirsi Ali speak at Yale. She was quite impressive. Her visit had been the subject of protests lead by the Muslim Students Association which demanded she be barred from speaking. The President of Yale did not give in to the protests. I am not sure we would see the same outcome today.
A couple of weeks later I went to Yale Law School to see Rachid al-Ghanouchi, the Islamist leader of Tunisia, speak. Ghanouchi had approved the fatwa providing religious endorsement of the killing of American soldiers in Iraq and denounced Israel as a “bacillus” that needed to be removed from the region. No one protested or objected to his visit.
Henry,
You have it exactly. While the truly brilliant and brave languish, the shallow scum rise to the top. Here is the opening line of a prayer we say on Wednesday at minyan.
How long indeed.
Regards,
Jim
Often lately when I pray about situations facing us this election these words from Longfellow come to my mind:
Lots of hate and mockery of our Bill of Rights freedoms going on in the US which may get worse before better, but it is inferior against people who refuse to lose those freedoms (good thing Madison, Jefferson, Washington et al recognized they were granted by our creator and not mankind.)
Off-Topic … kind of: So I was doing a crossword puzzle and in the bottom left, going down, was a seven-letter word for “Type of ant” that started with “P-I-S.” I hurriedly, and confidently, put in “Pissant” and proceeded to finish the puzzle … The next day I learned it was “Pismire,” a urinating ant, not the “Pissant” I jotted down with flair … Darn “Pissant” screwed up my whole puzzle!
On the plus side, I’ve never forgotten “Pismire.” I have since filed it and “Yma Sumac” away for future crosswords.
I enjoyed this podcast immensely. Made me wish I were back in college. I took 2 classes that were like this podcast, question thrown out and we all debated and discussed the issues around the question. One was a senior level history class, the other was Christian ethics with an emphasis on medical issues. If I had not been a nursing student, I’d have taken more courses like this, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t have made a living off whatever degree I ended up with. Guess I’m getting that education now. :)