Wake up UNC you don't speak for most of N.C.

TO THE EDITOR:

The silencing of former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) was an embarrassing moment for UNC. Our University was ridiculed on a variety of news outlets.

Last week's protesters who shut down the speech and vandalized Bingham Hall did a disservice to themselves and to the people they are trying to help. If what Mr. Tancredo planned to say qualified as hate speech then letting him speak would illegitimate his beliefs more so than not letting him speak. The news stories would have covered his supposedly hateful language and ideas not the embarrassing actions of the protesters. By acting in such a stupid manner the protesters ensured that all negative press would concern their actions not Mr. Tancredo's words.

Chapel Hill is a bubble; the town is not representative of the state. Mr. Tancredo was here to talk about his position on allowing illegal immigrants to attend state universities. His position to not admit illegal immigrants into colleges is a popular one across the state. Both the Democrat and Republican nominees for governor in the last election felt the same. Mr. Tancredo's view on the issue is more mainstream than many are willing to admit. It seems to me that the protesters were afraid to allow Mr. Tancredo to speak because he might just convince someone of his position on the issue of admitting illegal immigrants to our state universities. Keep up the good work radicals.



Jason Sutton

Sophomore

Political science