Editor,
I enrolled in Dr. Berthold's Greek civilization class last year merely because I needed a humanities credit. I had absolutely no interest in history, let alone Greek history. As it would turn out, I found myself listening attentively to his every lecture and left the class with a better understanding of society.
Dr. Berthold had an uncanny ability to keep people interested in the subject matter. The point is, Dr. Berthold is a good professor. In fact, he is the best professor I have had in my career at UNM.
To ask this man to resign merely because of a comment he made during a lecture is unfair and unconstitutional.
College students are no doubt mature enough to come to their own conclusions on important matters and do not have to be shielded from the beliefs of others, even if these beliefs seem cruel and unpatriotic.
I understand that as a professor his is job to teach the subject matter, but if the University decided to fire every professor that shared all personal opinions with their classes, I doubt we would have any professors left.
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Punishing Dr. Berthold for his personal opinions is not only wrong, it stands against the principles on which our country was founded. It is not a crime to speak one's mind. It is a crime, however, to persecute someone for doing so.
Marc Steinberg
UNM sophomore
