I think all Americans should be able to hear Ahmadinijead and get to hear all viewpoints. People need to be open minded and not just hear the view spread by our government. People should also research the history of Iran and not just let this administration, the media and others label people as demons. Hope I will be able to hear him speak. Like the religious people, one shouldn't be afraid to be exposed to diff views and religion and if they still believe what they think they do it will just reinforce. Thanks for NPR. In the 21st century disagreements should not be settled by force. We should have become civilized and able to respect other views after all the people have died and could have been avoided in most cases. Thank you. Talk, not bombs.

Sent by B, F. Whitten | 11:03 AM ET | 09-24-2007

I was embarrassed by the interview with Ahmadinejad on 60 Minutes last night. The interviewer was terribly arrogant and acted just like the Bush administration would like. (Did Karl Rove coach him?) Besides the arrogant attitude, the quote of what President Bush would ask Ahmadinejad was shameful. Who are we? What makes America different from other cultures around the world? Is it not our openness, our fairness, our respect for debate? Just because we allow someone to appear and air views different than ours doesn't mean we agree with everything that person says. We should be secure and brave enough to be able to be an EXAMPLE of respect. Bullyism just puts us on the level of the people who would show disrespect to others. Name-calling, fighting back, show of great strenth will never change the world. Has it worked yet? Insisting that someone (or some country) cave in to our demands before talking to them is too childish and ignorant to work as public policy. Come on Americans, show our true, brave, loving spirits. Everyone in the world can see the difference between arrogance and respect. Showing respect to all others can only come from a place of great strength and bravery. Anger, hatred, arrogance are all the tools of fear; tools to control others' thoughts and reactions. It's time we grow up and have the integrity practice what we preach.

Sent by Lynn | 11:20 AM ET | 09-24-2007

I can't believe I used to want to attend Columbia. (That dream died quickly when I realized how much it would've cost.) Now that university is dead to me. What's more, I heard one Columbia student on today's "Morning Edition" say something to the effect of, "oh, well, I want to wait until I hear what Ahmadinejad has to say before I make a judgment." What sort of nuance in his "the Holocaust didn't happen/Israel must be wiped out" views will satisfy her and these other Ivy League crazies? This is a case study in being so open-minded their brains have fallen out.

Sent by A.J. Squared-Away | 11:22 AM ET | 09-24-2007

President Ahmadinijad is a charismatic leader who will, no doubt, attempt to influence Americans by telling lies. Look at his actions and DO NOT believe his words.

Sent by Sally Lockley | 12:13 PM ET | 09-24-2007

The comments about Ahmadinejad"the evil has landed"- shows how narrow minded and uncivilized Americans are.
They do not want to hear anybody else's opinion. Why do we want to tell the whole world how to succeed. Is this country the best country in the world to live? I doubt it.

Sent by Dad239 | 2:29 PM ET | 09-24-2007

It reminds me of when these sanctimonious talk show hosts invite on Fred Phelps -- whose Westboro Baptist Church stages protests at American servicemembers' funerals -- as if they're going to talk some sense into him. It's a cheap, cynical ploy: Make yourself look like a provider of "discourse" by giving a forum to a madman, then being shocked (shocked!) when the occasion devolves into shouting or hatemongering or worse. Ahmadinejad kills Americans, and if he could, he'd kill more; if he could, he'd kill Israelis, too, as many as he could. So, gosh, thanks, Columbia, for so graciously affording us the opportunity to hear the man dissemble!

Sent by Angry Arnold | 2:45 PM ET | 09-24-2007

Iran is armed and supported by both Russia and China. They want Iran's oil as much as we want Iraq's oil. India and Pakistan got their nuclear weapons from us, from Russia, from China, from Britain and France. As did Israel and South Africa. Nobody seems to know or want to talk about how many nukes there are in Japan and Germany. For sure, the world is a nuclear poweder keg.

Russia and China supported North Korea and North Vietnam during those two wars. We supported the Mujahadeen during the Soviet War in Afghanistan.

If we go into Iran, we got a major war all over again. Except this time around there's going to be more nuclear weapons tossed about. That's a fact, jack.

So, when the other guy talks, even if you don't like him, you better listen. Keep your nuclear friends close. But keep your nuclear enemies closer. The midnight hour of nuclear warfare is ticking closer and closer.

Alternatives? Maybe an alternative fuel source, and we get out of the Mideast? That would require a lot of looking at our domestic ways of life. The American way of life. Can we change? Can we adapt? Can we take that first step to finding another way out of this mess?

We can't just pull the troops out without creating an economic catastrophe. We can't go charging into Iran without creating a catastrophic war. If we sit and wait, they might come into Iraq? Same war, through a different door.

In a nuclear winter, no one is right and no one is wrong. Everyone is future fossil fuel.

We need a middle ground right here in America to work from. We need compromise from both sides. Right and left. These should be the issues in the coming election.

fred call aka bigbro

Sent by fred call | 3:55 PM ET | 09-24-2007

I think what Lee Bollinger did is ridiculous, arrogant, hostile, and he should be called upon by his superiors and this nation to apologize for his and his school's behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Ahmadinejad's position on some of the issues that Mr. Bollinger raises. However, there are two major issues I see with Mr. Bollinger's behavior: 1) it was rude, not clever, not provocative, not engaging, simply rude and in this age I think Americans have much ground to gain in terms of presenting ourselves as civil World citizens; 2) In this dangerous age of conflict with Iran, Mr. Bollinger's comments were irresponsible and show zero regard to the sensitivity of our geo-political situation.

My sincerest hope is that a sufficient out cry occurs to result in some type of retribution, e.g. a public apology.

Sent by Tom Gibbons | 10:31 PM ET | 09-25-2007