In response to “Perry to Lege: ‘I was wrong’”, published Tuesday, Jan. 29.

I was disgusted, to say the least, to read Tuesday’s top column, which amounted to a bashing session of Rick Perry, who, like it or not, is the governor of our state. While the editorial board of a student newspaper is of course entitled to the right to express its opinion, I find it repulsive that the Texan so often posts liberal drivel that amounts to character assassination and then purports to represent the opinion of the entire student body of the University of Texas. I never dreamed that my alma mater would ridicule the murder of unborn children, claiming that Perry acted like “a cavalier Cowboy in his pursuit of an abortion-free Texas.” The conflation of abortion with the lawful execution of convicted criminals can be called nothing milder than “evil.” I am positive that were a similar column written about Barack Obama the columnist would be tarred and feathered and run out of town by a torch-wielding mob shouting, “RACIST!” 

Here you have this golden opportunity, as a newspaper that enjoys the readership of thousands of American college students, to change the tone of the debate and encourage people of your generation to be effective, levelheaded leaders. Instead you resort to posting vitriolic, self-indulgent claptrap that belongs in the National Enquirer or maybe on MSNBC, not the student paper of the best university in the state of Texas. 

— Karen L. Youngblood, 

Round Rock resident, UT Alum ‘84