Is intolerance ever acceptable?

There has recently been great debate regarding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being invited to speak (and subsequently speaking) at Columbia University in New York City.

The basic arguments boil down to these two:

1. We should listen to anyone, no matter how much we may or may not agree with that person's view.

2. We should not listen to this nut.

Basically, we boil down to the question in the title of this post: "Is intolerance ever acceptable?"

My short answer is...YES!

My middle answer is that there are certain things horrible enough in this world that we should do everything we can to constantly reinforce that these things are horrible. These things should not be entertained, discussed or toyed with. They should be held up only long enough to denounce them.

My long answer is best summed up by quoting from the Washington Post, "Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, said in a statement that "anyone who supports terror, pledges to destroy a sovereign nation (Israel), punishes by death anyone who 'insults' religion ... denies the Holocaust and thumbs his nose at the international community, has no legitimate role to play at a university.""

Aloha.