Dining with Ahmadinejad sparks campus moral debate at Columbia
A Columbia Spectator column questions whether leading U.S. universities foster moral illiteracy as CIRCA members are invited to dine with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his UN visit. The piece contrasts campus liberalism with Iran’s human rights record, cites reactions from Columbia leadership, and highlights broader calls for principled engagement.
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Columbia Spectator
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Spectator
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
New York
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CIRCA
Tim Chan
Ahmadinejad
Tehran
Bashar Assad
Syria
Iraq
Columbia
Shane Bauer
Joshua Fattal
Bauer
Fattal
University of California, Berkeley
Democracy Now
Lee Bollinger
Bollinger
Human Rights Watch
Iran
U.N
David Duke
Fred Phelps
Westboro Baptist Church
U.S
Letters to Editor Policy and Submission Details
Official guidance outlines word limits and submission methods forLetters must be signed include a hometown No phone numbers published but names and towns appear Editors reserve right to edit Libelous or personal attacks are excluded Contact numbers and addresses provided for editorial use only Readers are directed to submit via mail or email with specific contact channels and editor names cited for verification and response.
Officials contact numbers for Illinois lawmakers listed
A list of U S senators and representatives with phone numbers and websites for Mark Kirk Dick Durbin Jerry Costello and John Shimkus plus state senator David Luechtefeld including district contacts and email address hints from a Midwest publisher.
Golden Pen winner laments movie vulgarity in PG 13
Barbara K Burns of Carbondale wins the Golden Pen Award for August for a letter urging limits on cinematic swearing. She argues foul language shapes behavior, links edgier films to four letter words, and recalls how censorship influenced her and her late husband.
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Barbara K. Burns
Carbondale
Burns
Burns wins letter on vulgar language in Hollywood
Barbara K. Burns led with 77 votes in a votes tallied letter to the editor praising civility in film. Christine Mize and Syl Vanek trailed with 21 and 20 votes. Burns, not a Southern Illinois native, has lived in Carbondale 50 years and remains active as SIU Women’s Club vice-president.
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Christine Mize
Murphysboro
Syl Vanek
Johnston City
Burns
Golden Pen
Southern Illinois
Carbondale
Chicago
Windy City
Brookside Manor
SIU Women’s Club
Burns Partnership
The F word and adulthood in film critics letter
A reader laments that F word usage in PG 13 films signals adulthood. They argue against crude language, urge restraint, and suggest revisiting old movies where profanity wasn’t needed to convey drama or maturity. They warn against diluting culture by swearing and blasphemy.
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Southern Illinoisan
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