TO THE EDITOR:
Having been a student at UNC and a member of the College Republicans while on campus, it’s interesting to read about the Ben Shapiro lecture and the student response to his lecture. Similar events were held a dozen years ago while I was at Carolina. Not much has changed. It continues to be true that conservative/non-progressive opinion is treated with hostility in Chapel Hill. I do not portend to defend or agree with all that Mr. Shapiro said, but it’s illuminating to hear yet again a strident response absent respect for a differing viewpoint. The leader of the walk out, Ms. Charity Lackey, stated she walked out because Mr. Shapiro did not have respect for her or her opinion. Well, what do you think walking out of someone else’s lecture communicates? Perhaps a lack of respect for the speaker and their opinion?
Ironic. Additionally, Ms. Lackey stated it took a lot of energy to sit in the room for just five minutes. This is obviously a statement from someone lacking real world experience and any type of significant adversity. It’s somewhat remarkable to state that sitting in a heated and aired room at a university as a college student listening to someone with a viewpoint different than your own is an energy draining exercise only bearable for five minutes. Grow up. The real world can be unkind and unfair. I suppose it takes graduating into it to actually understand what energy draining adversity actually is.
Andrew Hogan
Class of ’05
