Protests rage on in Iran with the reformist candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi saying that he is ready for “martyrdom.” In the meantime, the president of the United States of America has decided to stay a cautious distance away from the best opportunity for freedom in Iran in three decades. While Obama insists that he does not want to interfere in Iran’s affairs, Iran’s rulers have already charged us with doing just that. So the question is: if they already believe that we are “meddling” why not take the plunge and actually help the pro-democracy protesters by showing our support?

The reason is that standing with the Iranian people is not what Obama wants. Obama wants to stand next to the Ayatollahs. Obama wants a to hold a “historic” dialogue with Ahmadinejad. Obama wants a photo-op. Freedom is not what the president wants. While he talks about outreach, he is actively NOT reaching out to the only people in Iran that, in spite of suffering beatings, incarceration, and getting killed, are still out there on the street demanding real change. He is actively reaching out to thugs, tyrants, and terrorists because it fulfills some sort of ideological fetish, the idea that bad guys are just misunderstood. By turning a blind eye to the regime’s abuses, we are essentially enabling oppression. Yesterday, Ayatollah Khamenei issued his ultimatum, practically saying that any harm that befalls the protesters is the protesters’ own fault. This means that Iran will soon start taking the gloves off and really crack down on the demonstrators… if and when that happens, will America simply be standing to the side as the spirit of freedom gets crushed? Or will America be the defender of freedom?

Unfortunately, the president has already shown us his ability to ignore the suffering of the Iranian people. Our actions now will influence the future of our relations with Iran. If we abandon the people then both the regime and the people will hate us. If we stand against tyranny then only the regime will hate us. I think the choice is clear, but for a person like Obama, who excuses his relationships with former terrorists and excused the vicious anti-American diatribes of his former-pastor Jeremiah Wright, choosing freedom over tyranny is not so easy. Is it too much to ask for the president of America to actually act American?

To the Iranian people who oppose tyranny, the American people stand with you, regardless of what our politicians say or do.

-AG