Market place of ideas

When I first heard that Sarah Palin was to speak in Turlock in association with our University I, like many, was shocked and outraged that infamous ignorance was now a qualification to be included in our celebration of 50 years of higher education. I vented my feelings in letters and comments at many sites. But we will not prevent this person of well known intellectual limitations from coming here and damaging the reputation of our school. So the question is what to do now. In the name of good old American competition I think we should encourage the Associated Students to invite Rachel Maddow to speak at a similar fundraiser (but not at the elitist only Palin price of $500 per person). Then, in the Market Place of Ideas, there can be a vivid comparison between them. It would be inspiring, instructive, and down right fun to see the two presentations side by side in print if not in time and place. A calm, thoughtful, reasoned, and even entertaining speech and then Sad Sarah's mish-mash of unrelated ramblings and sound bites. I'm smiling as I imagine it even now.