Wild temper tantrums as displayed by  suppressing free speech and censorship are the order of the school year at Columbia University. Now, apparently frightened of their own students the administration has begun a campaign of appeasement by canceling a controversial panel discussion. 

Walid Shoebat, a former Islamic terrorist who renounced his past and converted to Christianity, and a former Nazi/white power individual who has also changed, were to speak at Columbia at the invitation of the school's College Republicans.   However about three hours before the event the school's chaplain and associate provost e mailed all those who had RSVPed informing them,

attendance will be limited to the invited speakers and their staff, CUID holders, and 20 invited guests.  You are receiving this email to inform you that unfortunately, your RSVP to tonight's event cannot be accepted.

And what about those out of towners, out of neighborhood individuals who had dutifully RSVPed and were traveling to Columbia for the event but didn't check their recent email?  Tough!  They were barred from entering, abandoned into a cold, rainy NY night.

Alas, Columbia has a long ignomious history of disallowing any speech that does not meet with the approval of the liberal thought du jour.  Ross Kaminsky,  recounting similar incidents during his school years there in the 80s and even his father's in the early 60s, concludes,

Throughout all the years that my family and friends have attended Columbia, it has repeatedly represented itself as a truly illiberal institution, in a way that only the most "liberal" institutions can. The students live in a world which would make Orwell shudder: speech can justify violence, economic conservatives are called "fascists," and any talk the students disagree with is labeled "hate speech."

In this way and others, Columbia represents everything that is wrong with the far left in America today, and I am proud to say that while I do give money to a college, it is not to Columbia.

Sound reasoning Mr Kaminsky.  His experience was similar to mine while I was a student at Columbia in the that late 60s.  And I too am proud to say that as a result I quickly vowed never to donate to Columbia — a promise I have kept.

Ethel C. Fenig   10 12 06