My name is Wayne Allyn Root. I am a Libertarian Conservative candidate for President of the United States. But I am NOT your typical conservative politician- actually my credentials sound quite liberal. I am a Jewish New Yorker with an Ivy League degree from Columbia University who has achieved my wealth and success in Hollywood and Las Vegas (in the television business). I have spent the last 18 years as a network anchor, host, television producer, and non-stop cable talk show guest. I’ve gotten to know and understand the liberal news media and the “intellectual elite” up close and personal. I understand their agenda. And the picture is not pretty. It can be summed up with the controversial decision by my alma mater Columbia University to invite a terrorist murderer to speak in front of the student body on September 24th- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is typical of Columbia University and it’s leaders to hide behind the defense of “freedom of speech” to support this disgraceful decision. But it is a complete bogus lie. This fraud represents liberal hypocrisy at its most disingenuous and arrogant.
I too support free speech. But there are exceptions. Not for terrorists who openly call for the destruction and annihilation of America and our ally Israel. Not for Holocaust deniers. Not for the leader of a nation that supports Hezbollah terrorist bombings that target innocent women, children and the elderly in Israel. Not for the leader of a country whose special forces and deadly weapons are smuggled into Iraq to kill American soldiers. And certainly not for a man whose obvious goal is to develop nuclear weapons to be used in a 21st century Holocaust against Israel and America. This is not about freedom of speech, but rather about giving a platform and credibility to an evil madman. This decision is typical of a university dominated by leftist, if not outright socialist, anti-American, anti-Israeli educators and administrators. It is an outrage and disgrace.
Yet as a Libertarian who values freedom over all else, even I could accept this decision if it was fairly applied to allow any speaker or newsmaker to address Columbia. It is not. The truth is that Columbia University is a hypocritical, biased, leftist-dominated institution that denies conservative speakers or thinkers that same platform, or access to its students. Columbia has consistently rejected the appearance of high-profile conservative speakers- including Jim Gilchrest, Founder of the Minuteman Project, whose appearance was cancelled just last week. Worse, Columbia has tried to suppress conservative thought by hiring only professors and educators who share their radical leftist agenda. The Columbia Conservative Alumni Association reported earlier this week that only 20 openly Republican, Conservative or Libertarian professors exist out of a faculty of over 3000. So where is “free speech” as a priority when it comes to diversity of thought among Columbia’s educators? Columbia has also denied ROTC the freedom to recruit on campus- despite a majority student vote to reverse that censorship of free speech. So according to Columbia President Lee Bollinger, it’s called “free speech” when Islamic extremists and terrorists (trying to acquire nuclear weapons to use against America and Israel) are invited to speak at the university. But allowing speakers and newsmakers who do not murder innocent civilians, or fund terrorism, or advocate terrorism in any way, but who simply have conservative ideals, or want to enforce illegal immigration laws, is forbidden? Murderers and Holocaust deniers have a right to explain and defend their beliefs under the guise of “free speech,” but not conservatives?
As I heard of this bias and intolerance exhibited by Columbia’s radical leftist administration and faculty in the past few days, it brought back a flood of memories from my Columbia college days. I was witness to many shocking displays of liberal bias, intolerance and hypocrisy that many in the heartland of America could never even imagine. One of these incidents that I witnessed while a student at Columbia literally defines America’s intellectual elite- as a group so radical, so extreme, with an agenda so out of the mainstream, and a prejudice versus conservatives (and religious Christians) so strong and so vicious, that it borders on outright loathing. This event that I witnessed a quarter century ago was so revolting that I kept it to myself (and my close circle of friends) for over 2 decades. But now that I see the same liberal hate and intolerance being displayed by a new generation of left wing radicals at Columbia, and that same liberal media bias being displayed by many of my college classmates now prominent and influential in the media, I feel that the incident that I witnessed must be publicly exposed.
This incident from a quarter of century ago certainly debunks the myth that liberals are compassionate do-gooders out to save the world- somehow better, nicer, fairer to those less fortunate (you know- the Michael Moore, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Rosie O’Donnell and George Clooney version of the facts). In reality they possess a hate so strong towards those with opposing viewpoints (in particular Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians, Christians and their new whipping boys- Israelis), that it evokes memories of McCarthyism. The roots of that hate and moral superiority can all be summed up in one event I witnessed back in 1981. I was then a sophomore at Columbia University majoring in Political Science. Most (if not all) of my professors were radical leftists- filled with outright contempt for America and capitalism (yes, this is who is teaching our best and brightest children at Ivy League universities). My fellow students were almost to a man (or woman) extreme liberals and socialists- with many admitting openly an affinity for communism. I was sickened by the political views that I heard day and night- views so left wing they would make even Hillary Clinton and George McGovern cringe. These were brilliant students (mostly spoiled brats from the upper classes of America who had been handed everything they ever wanted their entire lives on a silver platter) that despised America and everything it stood for. As a student at one of America’s finest academic institutions, I was subjected to a nonstop verbal attack against America, it’s values and even the very idea of God! This was at the time the definition of “higher learning” at Ivy League institutions (and unfortunately still is).
As a na‹ve blue collar S.O.B. (son of a butcher) from a small dead-end town on the Bronx borderline, I found myself in awe of these blue-blooded, intellectual, trust-fund debutantes. I had never met people like this before.
I actually laughed and shook my head at their radical, anti-American, anti-capitalism beliefs. I actually thought they were just young and misguided, but well-meaning kids and that none of this was “personal.” I wouldn’t hold a person’s political beliefs against them- surely they felt the same way? I was very wrong. What I learned at Columbia was that Liberals feel morally superior to others. They are on a mission to save the world from prejudice, patriotism, racism, greed, intolerance, and inequality.
America and the success our great country has achieved is a sign of everything these radical leftists despise- worse, it is living, breathing proof that everything they believe in is WRONG! And so they resent this country (and now Israel- the only living, breathing, successful capitalist democracy in the Middle East); anyone who has achieved self-made success through American values; and anyone who disagrees with their “morally superior” bleeding-heart liberal point of view. Anyone not on board with the same agenda is labeled ignorant, racist, intolerant, greedy, close-minded or dangerous and must be slashed, burned, slandered and destroyed (see George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, William Bennett, and an endless list of conservative leaders). To liberals, everything is personal. We as conservatives are seen as “the enemy.” We aren’t just espousing tax cuts- we are throwing single mothers, welfare mothers, children, the elderly into the streets. Our views in the eyes of liberals are based on ignorance and greed. What else could possibly explain the fact that our opinion is different? In the new McCarthy era among the liberal elite media in New York, D.C. and Hollywood, there can be no dissent. There is only one truth- the liberal version. Any other viewpoint is classified as repugnant and out of the “mainstream” (once again, only liberal’s definition of “mainstream” is relevant). Hard to comprehend, until you realize that these same intolerant, biased, prejudiced radical liberal educators, union leaders, Hollywood executives, and media elite all started out at schools like Columbia University. These are the people that I attended Columbia with – 25 years later, all grown up with fancy titles.
The incident I witnessed at Columbia explains so much about the thinking of the radical left. Back in 1981, I was sitting in my political science class taught by extreme leftist Professor Esther Fuchs- in a large theatre style classroom seating 100 or more students. The President at the time was Ronald Reagan- a man reviled by the left just as viciously as George W. Bush is today. Suddenly our lecture was interrupted by a door swinging open violently- whereupon a breathless fellow student raced into our room screaming, “The President has been shot! They’ve just assassinated President Reagan.” Ronald Reagan was my hero. It hit me like a ton of bricks- I instantly felt sick to my stomach and tears flowed down my cheeks. But it was the response of the rest of the class that I will remember for the rest of my life. They cheered! They clapped, they yelled, they high-fived and whooped in sheer unadultrated joy. My fellow classmates (the ones I was naively trying so hard to befriend despite their radical leftist views) were happy that my hero President Ronald Reagan was dead (or so they thought). More than happy- they were celebrating like it was New Years Eve. They were literally cheering the assassination of the President of the United States. Why? What could possibly cause the brightest young adults in this great country to cheer for the murder of their own country’s leader? The answer was simple: because Ronald Reagan had the audacity to be a Republican Conservative. That’s the dirty little secret that liberals don’t want you to know. That despite the fact that they claim to be “compassionate,” that they claim to love others less fortunate, that they abhor hate and prejudice, that they declare any war as inhumane and unjustified- despite all this compassion and goodness- this same liberal elite despises with a deep unbridled prejudice, anyone ignorant enough to disagree with their definition of what is “right.” To liberals, that form of hate, that form of prejudice, that form of intolerance towards others with a different point of view is completely acceptable.
That intolerance was on display last year when socialist, communist and Hispanic student groups from Columbia were allowed to shout down the founder of the Minuteman organization while he was trying to address Columbia students- thereby violating his free speech. To radical liberals, it’s justified to hate conservatives; to hate Republicans; to hate those who support war; to hate those greedy individuals who actually have the audacity to want to lower taxes (God forbid anyone should think taxes actually belong to the taxpayer- how ignorant, greedy and selfish!); to hate those so ignorant that they would support the death penalty; the ownership of guns, or the building of a wall to stop the stampede of illegal immigrants (otherwise known as criminals). To liberals that kind of hate, prejudice, and intolerance is fair and justified. That kind of intolerance and attempt to silence the opposition doesn’t count as McCarthyism. To liberals, to root for the death of a conservative Republican is morally acceptable- it’s actually “compassionate” because (in their warped thinking) the death of a Conservative would make the world a better place, safe from prejudice, racism, inequality, intolerance, corporate greed, and global warming.
That day at Columbia University over 20 years ago, I got physically sick. I ran out of class- the CHEERS of my classmates at the possible death of Ronald Reagan reverberating in the halls behind me. I ran into the bathroom, got on my knees and vomited. I felt sick for America- for the people I had just watched cheer and celebrate the shooting of our President were undoubtedly the future leaders of America. Unfortunately, I was more accurate that day than I would even imagine- over 25 years later as I read my Columbia College Today alumni magazine and see updates on the career success of my classmates, I see the names of future Supreme Court justices, close advisors to Presidents (George Stephanapoulus was a classmate), liberal United States Senators (Barack Obama of Illinois), the best and brightest legal minds in the country (any wonder lawyers seem to be at the root of most problems in our society?), and many of the most influential journalists and media executives in America. That’s right, Columbia’s best and brightest often wind up in the media. My classmates are the reporters, anchors, journalists, columnists and producers that influence the news we watch and read every day.
Today, I have no doubt that if George W. Bush were assassinated, glasses would be raised in toast to his death or demise by many of America’s media elite. No, they would not dare cheer out loud- my classmates are now 46 years old, not enthusiastic kids anymore. But they would applaud and celebrate quietly and with “dignity.” Their children on the other hand- now attending Columbia or Harvard or Princeton- would undoubtedly cheer and whoop loudly and passionately at the death of an “ignorant” and intolerant opponent. The death of a spotted owl, rat, fox, or worst of all, a radical Islamic or Palestinian terrorist- those are to be mourned by liberals. But the death of a conservative Republican, a capitalist, (or today added to the hate list- an Israeli) is a reason for celebration. So much for the unbiased media. So much for the “compassion” of Liberals. Now my fellow readers, you have some insight into the true mindset and agenda of America’s liberal elite. You understand how they were raised (as spoiled brats with terrible guilt for all they were handed)…how they were educated (by teachers and professors with a radical leftist agenda)…and the roots (excuse the pun) of their bias in all they report on today as the keepers of the news.
Now you understand them the way that I do- as an “insider” with a front row seat for two decades. And I ask you a simple question: do you now feel it’s possible for a Republican to ever get a fair shake from a media populated with people who hold the views espoused above? I’m sure that the liberal media and Hollywood elite- when confronted by this story- will say that what they believed as college students has no impact on their views as adults and professionals today. So I ask you a simple question- what would liberals say if they found out that a Fox News Channel host had joined the KKK back in his college days? Or that a Fox News executive had cheered and high-fived his friends over the death of Martin Luther King back in his college days? Would those errors of youth be forgiven and forgotten by liberals? Of course not.
I hope this story gives you insight into what I’ve known for a quarter of a century- the liberal intellectual elite are intolerant, they are hypocrites, and they are dangerous to America, American values, capitalism, Christianity (and the very existence of Israel too). I’ve known the truth about liberals all these years- now you do too. It’s the reason that every time I watch CNN or PBS or Katie Couric anchor the evening news on CBS (among many others), I often feel the need to take a shower. But it never helps- nothing can quite scrub away the echoes of those cheers 20 years ago in that classroom at Columbia University. That was the day I learned the real truth about liberals- their compassion, morality and desire for tolerance doesn’t extend to Republicans, conservatives, capitalists or libertarians. When it comes to people like us- rejecting freedom of speech, or rooting for death is perfectly acceptable. On the other hand, when it comes to terrorist murderers or madmen like President Ahmadinejad, the welcome light is always on. How sad. How disgusting. How disturbing. How revolting. Columbia University should be ashamed.
Wayne Allyn Root is a candidate for the Libertarian Presidential nomination.
