Professor Sjostrom: Amazingly, I agree with you—you really, really don’t get it.

Your rationale for demeaning yourself by referring to a colleague as “spending her time making up excuses to hate the United States” escapes me.

Tsk, tsk, shame on you. Is that what questioning media coverage of the Gulf War really means these days—hating the United States?

Another thing: if one espouses political beliefs against the Gulf War, it does not logically follow that one is anti-American.

Additionally, please inform me who decides “true” Americans, and what is the measuring stick for applying that label?

And, what does the phrase “yet another tedious academic” mean? Freedom of speech hasn’t been taken away from college professors yet, has it?

Furthermore, what does collecting a paycheck have to do with anything remotely related to whether one supports the Gulf War?

Could you possibly be implying: 1) all “true” Americans must support the war; and 2) “true” Americans should be permitted to teach at public universities only if they meet your criteria?

Then, would you clarify for me: 1) who decides who collects “a paycheck paid for largely by American taxpayers?”; 2) what is the measuring stick for deciding who deserves the paycheck?; 3) and who decides whether college professors are permitted to engage in even remotely controversial activities.

Professor Karlson, until now, I’ve rather enjoyed the running controversy between Professor Forest, Professor Harry and you. I relish diversity of political opinions.

However, I do not relish your implications that both sociology as a discipline and the professors who teach it are lightweights.

Is the mere mention of energy economics by one not formally trained in economics sacrosanct?

Gentlemen, is such “down and dirty mudslinging” about a mere difference of political opinion really necessary? Aren’t you professionals?

Isn’t a tenet of your profession to encourage both intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of academic excellence? Why did you use this controversy as an opportunity to engage in colleague bashing?

Oh, I get it! This was all a joke. Or, perhaps, just an exercise to stir it all up; yes, that must be it! It was all just a harmless ploy to determine if a war debate reminiscent of the 1960s could be revived.

Karen Slaughter

Graduate student

Sociology