When the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, the outpouring of international support was broad and rampant. Now that a hostile leader wants to visit the Ground Zero site to lay a wreath commemorating those who died, American politicians are speaking out against the potential visit.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, of the Islamic Republic of Iran, submitted a request to enter the fenced-in portion of Ground Zero before speaking at the United Nations.
According to a Sept. 19, 2007 article by Sarah Garland in The New York Sun, the NYPD and US Secret Service were in talks to decide whether Ahmadinejad's visit to the World Trade Center site would be allowed.
The decision was published in a Sept. 20, 2007 Associated Press article in which the NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly said that the visit would not be allowed because "it seems more than odd that the president of a country that is a state sponsor of terror would visit Ground Zero."
Nonetheless, the Iranian president still seems expectant that a visit can be organized, according to an Iranian spokesman:
"President Ahmadinejad intended to lay a wreath at the site of ground zero in order to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001. We are hopeful that we can still work something out with the police department."
American ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, was taken aback by the Iranian's request and suggested that the Middle Eastern nation should instead take "concrete actions" against terrorism by curbing its fanatic activities, like their nuclear program and support of the militant group Hezbollah.
All this culminates in a foreign policy misstep for the US federal government as a whole - among her conservative counterparts, Hillary Clinton stood up and spoke out against Ahmadinejad's potential visit.
Politicians simply flushed a major foreign policy opportunity down the toilet; everyone is concerned about letting a politician who sponsors terrorism into our memorials. Perhaps if he was allowed to go to Ground Zero, Bush could also invite him to the White House for a summit on terrorism.
Even if Ahmadinejad is not allowed to enter the fenced area, he should go to the public section of the memorial in order to defy US politicians. In defiance of an idea, Ahmadinejad will cause the dispersion of positive world relations among the American people.
UB undercuts Harvard with less energy
Harvard finally joins the big boys
In the March 21, 2007 edition of The Spectrum, an article under the title "UB joins nationwide global warming coalition" revealed that President John B. Simpson gave UB's full commitment to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
At the time, only 133 universities had signed onto the coalition. The commitment calls for "UB to reduce emissions in greenhouse gases and will eventually lead to a state where the University's effect on the environment is considered 'neutral.'"
Some six months later, the coalition now has 399 schools signed on to help change the global environment, according to a Sept. 18, 2007 article in The New York Times by Felicity Barringer. Among the new members is Harvard University, although they've only put their right foot in so far.
While it's great that other schools are following UB's example, some schools like Harvard aren't putting their full effort toward the cause of environmentalism.
As of now, Harvard's commitment only applies to their proposed science center, which is not even in construction yet. So what does Harvard's membership in the coalition mean for the environment right now?
However, you can't rip on Harvard too much, as it must be far more difficult for them to pursue climate neutrality than it is for those here at UB. Take your time Harvard - the environment will wait for you.
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
