This is in response to the letter by Joseph T. Miller, the assistant professor who spoke out against Columbus Day and Chief Illiniwek for the Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative. Though I respect his service in the Vietnam War, I find myself appalled that someone of his status would consider it “mature” to attempt censorship of “offensive” subject matter like an American Indian mascot.

Miller’s attack on Chris Kozak, which reeked of the pompous air of someone who thinks their age and experience makes them much wiser than others, was laughable, particularly the part when he insinuated that Kozak hadn’t been properly educated if he felt the way he did. I suppose if we don’t share Miller’s elitist perspective, then clearly we have not been properly educated and are nothing but evil fascists. Or perhaps “properly educated” is the new politically correct term for “brainwashed.”

I hope and pray that my children will never have to be instructed and have their basic sense of values warped by professors like Miller, who would have them believe that they are doing the mature thing by enforcing censorship. Professors like him are responsible for seducing countless na‹ve students who are too “open-minded” to form opinions of their own.

The politically correct mindset has the potential to undo the principles our country was built upon. And the most terrifying thing about it is that not only does political correctness gradually take away our basic freedoms, it is designed in such a way that people will actually willfully sacrifice these principles in order to preserve “tolerance,” and to make themselves feel morally superior to those that don’t follow their “code.” I’ll follow my own code, thanks, and hope others will have the sensibility to do the same.

Denny Gibbons

sophomore in business