Editor,
I am a junior at UNM, and have over the last three years taken four classes from Professor Richard Berthold. During that time, I learned that he was a very bright, strong-willed and opinionated man.
These characteristics make his classes very open to free thought and give his students an opportunity to perhaps think outside the social norm.
Professor Berthold's sarcastic comments often inspire a laugh, but more often than that they offer an insight into a way of thinking many of us have never before encountered.
He brings a new opinion to be considered to our attention; and we as literate, thinking adults - students of the world - have the choice of taking or leaving the information he has given.
Professor Berthold does not subvert the minds of the youth, he opens them.
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I ask the University and those who criticize the professor to keep in mind the reason for education in America.
Humans are not meant to be mindless drones, nor are we meant to sit idly by and let those in power the way Rep. William Fuller tells us what we should or shouldn't think and say.
Like others, I call upon the First Amendment of our Constitution to back the fact that Professor Berthold had every right to express his opinion, no matter how badly timed or phrased, and his students had every right to hear or ignore his words.
Keep in mind that the Professor had no intention of slighting the loss of American lives, he was only making a comment on the institution of the Pentagon as an uncaring war machine that often takes actions that many Americans either question or straight out abhor.
I support Professor Richard Berthold, his right to speak must be protected. Though some of us might not want to hear what he has to say, he must be able to say it.
He is, like many of us, a protestor against many policies that are exercised by our government. Despite the surge of patriotism that we are now seeing in our country, those practices are still seen and must still be commented upon.
Despite the fact that Professor Berthold did not think through his words, he must not be persecuted for such a minor offense.
In the great scheme of things, even in the events of the last few weeks, Professor Berthold's comments mean nothing.
Instead of negating the unity of our country in our time of need as Mr. Fuller seems to be most interested in; I stand by free speech, I stand by differing opinions and I stand whole-heartedly by Professor Berthold.
I will be in his class next semester and will be counted among his students for as long as I can.
K. Zoa Antinone
UNM student
