I love listening to the crazies rant in both political parties. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said the Affordable Care Act was derived from “Adolf Hitler’s playbook,” while MSNBC’s liberal commentator Lawrence O’Donnell said the vice president of the National Rifle Association is “the lobbyist for mass murderers.” Who needs Comedy Central when you can listen to laughable comments like these in the regular news media?

I have become critical of most political claims because of these types of irrational comments. However, some political clichés do seem somewhat correct. For example, the common “colleges are cesspools of liberal ideology” claim is usually thought of as conservative-driven malarkey, but I have found many professors do try to influence their students’ political views.

In one of my classes last week, my group discussed the topic “establishing a flat tax” for our required persuasive speech. After presenting the topic to our professor, he thoroughly explained why the flat tax was a bad idea and encouraged us to focus on how rich people do not pay their fair share of taxes. Therefore, he not only demeaned our fiscally conservative idea, but he also suggested we advocate a liberal agenda – so much for encouraging independent thinking.

Other examples I have experienced include professors requiring book reports based on blatantly biased books written by liberal pundits, calling President Bush and other Republicans “stupid” and devoting an entire lecture to why President Obama is a better candidate.

Professors, I hope you understand just one thing from this letter: As students, we want to be challenged and educated, but we do not want to be indoctrinated. Leave your political leanings at the door, and let us make our own political decisions.

J Ryan Hudson

business administration senior,

former Student Government

president