I wonder how many of my fellow SIUC students read the Oct. 24 DE article titled Published commentary lands student a hearing with Judicial Affairs Office and felt as much disgust as I did. I am often amazed at what the city of Carbondale, the police, landlords, and other city or school institutions or organizations do to students. Now it appears that one of these institutions (the University) has the gall to dictate the freedom of the press.

I do not know Mr. Anzaldi or Mr. Roy and I am not writing this letter to comment on the characters of any person or persons connected with this issue. However, I am extremely concerned that anyone can be brought up on any charges because of that person’s opinion. If Mr. Roy feels that the comments made by Mr. Anzaldi have damaged his good name he has every legal right to file a civil suit in court on that premise.

This case goes far beyond the matter of Mr. Roy and Mr. Anzaldi. In fact it threatens the very fabric that makes us Americans. While I agree that the University needs a Judicial Affairs Office, I do not believe that they have the right to charge someone on a free speech issue. If the University has the right to charge students when they speak their minds and those opinions differ with the established order, freedom of expression is in peril.

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What right does the University have to bring charges against anyone who expresses their opinions? They have no right to intimidate students with hearings and threats simply because they have written an opinion in the campus press or any other press. In my opinion, students are treated like second class students by the community, police, and in some cases the University. I for one and disgusted by the whining and crying the minority makes about students.

I enjoy Southern Illinois and the University. However, I am tired of the ridicule towards students from the institutions established to serve the students and community. I perceive the issue of free speech as another attempt at the institutions to exploit and extort the students. We as students need to be very aware and concerned about any group who wishes to stifle free speech. A message should be sent that this is not acceptable. If anyone is reprimanded for freely expressing an opinion then freedom is lost. One could only wonder what Thomas Jefferson would say if he were alive today.

Graduate student, higher education