Letter to the editor: You didn’t die. Get over it.

Brian Langenberg is an NEIU Instructor in the Department of Accounting, Business Law and Finance

Some thoughts on our Spicer “crisis.” 

Dr. Gibson – no congratulations on free speech. Protesting is free speech; disrupting the event and charging the stage is not. The next time the socialist this or leftist meets to say things I dislike do I get to disrupt or insult? 

Event – pathetic. Phil Ponce gave Hillary’s hatchet-woman (Brazile) a pass. Clinton Foundation receiving $35 million after helping sell 20% of US uranium to Russia? El Chapo’s $15 million “donation?” Not a word. 

Professor Brett Stockdill should be disciplined or fired. He has a right to his opinion and to be heard. He had no right to call a guest of NEIU names or incite others. NEIU looked stupid by providing another public example of a university failing to uphold standards. Given his alphabet rights focus (LGBTQ) his attacks were dishonest as well as rude. President Trump is pushing for global decriminalization of non- heterosexual sex and an elevator ride with Mike Pence would pose no risk. 

Professor Nancy Matthews – tell us about “very real threats to democracy and fairness and society that are happening right now.” Claiming free speech advocacy while stating Spicer’s participation is “an unfortunate reality of living in a capitalist society” because NEIU needs money. Which is it? NEIU is well funded, wastes over $6 million annually on excess administrative costs yet delivers a 22% graduation rate and hideous Best Colleges ranking of 1,496 (versus UIC #129). The market is voting with its feet (enrollment down 20%) and NEIU does not earn its keep. 

Professor Jorge Adrian Castrejon – “If you are not angry, then that is a problem” and “…should be supporting them and not inflicting this sort of trauma and fear.” Jorge, this is childish. MAGA types (Ooh! Bad!!) want a system fix not massive deportations. A now graduated DACA student and I had great conversations and agreed on much, including Luis Gutierrez (his rep) and Peter Roskam (mine) both sucked! Instead of using students as pawns improve your teaching, which ratemyprofessors.com cites as “easy”, “nonexistent in your classes” and “never open to opposing views.” 

Independent – 2% of students protest and 70% of your paper is one-sided coverage. That is sad. 

Addressing an editorial from a first generation American, immigrant and woman here are a few thoughts. Glad to have you acclimate to American even as you add to the richness of our society. When you recited the Pledge of Allegiance it was expected you buy into America’s ideals which is not “be like Brian” but respecting the rights of others to speak, listen and be heard just as you have the right to editorialize. 

Nazis were socialists. Sean Spicer served the President who earned 63 million votes. Demonizing people with words like “fear, betrayal, bigotry, fear, hate, vehemently, underbelly, terrorize, marginalized, spewing, decaying, larger monsters, little monster, real monsters, more insidious, monsters,” is unfair and prevents you from learning. An underbelly is the Democrat party’s entitlement plantation system controls inner city welfare schemes, “education” systems and criminal justice systems. Advocating to “shut them down in places that really matter” is a problem. I swore an Oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Freedom of speech is not negotiable. 

“People of this nature”, “indirectly attack us” and “our safe haven.” I am sympathetic to your Democrats killed 3 deals (Obama in 2007 and 2014, Schumer in 2017). They would rather scare and own you as political pawns. 

Ending White Supremacy on the NEIU Campus. Let’s get serious. But I joke about leading the Gadsden Institute for White Supremacy at NEIU so happy to be your straw man.