The shock value that comes with ’60s radical turned conservative David Horowitz was not in what he said at a lecture on Wednesday but more of the way he presented himself, one student said.

About 100 SIUC students and community members crammed into the University Museum Auditorium to hear Horowitz talk about various social problems.

What creates racism and poverty is society, Horowitz said. If you b elieve that social institutions are the root of social problems, think about who makes up these social institutions people. We can fix the social problems.

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Political correctness says that we can change what can and will happen.

Michelle Douglas, a sophomore in zoology and pre-veterinarian medicine from Antioch, said her expectations were completely different when she attended the lecture.

It was really good. I was surprised, Douglas said. I expected him to be ranting and raving, but he was very calm and talked at a nice tone to tell his story.

However, Horowitz also made comments about racism and freedom in America that drew a few mumbles from the crowd.

This is the least racist country in the world, he said. Since kindergarten you are taught that racism is bad.

Conservatives think that we are born free. We are not born free, we are born helpless.

Horowitz said Americans who think this is a bad country should really stop and think about how this society really is.

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If there is any oppression in America, why isn’t anyone leaving? he said. [The immigrants] want to come here because America is the freest country in God’s green Earth.

Douglas said she was not exactly pleased with the constant mention of his book but understood that the lecture was the perfect time for a plug.

Sometimes I felt like he was trying to sell his book more than lecture, and I don’t blame him, she said. I would have been more concerned about his views than the way his life was.

Horowitz’s lecture was sponsored by the Department of History, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the Young American Foundation.

Jonathan Bean, assistant professor in history, said he thought students were very receptive to Horowitz’s talk.

I think that there was a very positive reaction, Bean said. There were more people than we expected.

He likes to reach out to the younger generation and teach them that there is another side to the ’60s, he said. I think he accomplished that.

Horowitz received a cheer from the majority of the crowd when he mirrored comments made by controversial speaker Oliver North in November.

God gave us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and government exists only to secure them.