Educator of the Year

This speech appeared in FrontPage Magazine today. It was delivered by Sharad Karkhanis, Ph. D. before the Queens Village Republican Club at Antun’s on the occasion of Lincoln’s Birthday Celebration and Award Ceremony 2/10/2008. He was honored as Educator of the Year for his valiant stand for free speech battling a defamation lawsuit for daring to suggest that placing convicted terrorists in teaching positions on the City University of New York payroll is not appropriate.
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Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Honorable Trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, Chair James Trent, President Phil Sica, Mr Marlin, Prof. Matacotta, friends, relatives, and recipients of other awards, my friends and colleagues from Kingsborough and my good friend Phil Orenstein. Thank you Phil, for that wonderful introduction. I’m truly overwhelmed with this honor. I’m humbled with the thought that you too have recognized the importance of protecting one of the most cherished rights of American Citizenship, that of the First Amendment right to free speech and the press. Thank you , thank you, thank you for joining me in this struggle, for if I am not able to express myself freely, one day, you too will be subjected to the denial of your right to express yourself. My fight is your fight, and I intend to go on no matter where it goes, or however long it takes. I will fight it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States even if it takes twenty years. This fight is a fight worth fighting for. Read more...