I think him being invited to Columbia was the right thing to do. Freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas (no matter how radical and idiotic they may seem) is one of the crutches of academia. Even if you don't agree with someone they still have a voice. I am in no way saying that he is a good man but he is the head of a nation with major sway in the Arab world.

I also think that denying him access to Ground Zero was ignorant. Since when did the US government decided that its only a place of mourning for Americans? Its an international site of mourning. From what I could tell he only had good intentions for visiting site. I highly doubt he would have gotten there and then spit on it or something along those lines. And if he did I bet a mob of people would have attacked him. We can not keep acting like 9/11 effected just us.

I hope that better relations with Iran will come of this. As someone about to enter the service the last thing I want to do is to go to Iran and fight. I hope Columbia takes him up his offer. As a student right now I would fight tooth and nail to be one of those students that gets to go to Iran to speak to the Universities.