Academic Hall for public use

I went to the Ted Cruz rally held at Academic Hall on Saturday. I thought it an energizing, uplifting event, but that's not why I'm writing.

I'm writing because I was mystified by comments attributed, in your Sunday story, to a professor among those people protesting the event. When asked by your reporter why she was protesting, she said she felt Mr. Cruz being allowed to use Academic Hall appeared to be an implicit gesture of support for him. Wow. Really? Isn't Academic Hall a public venue at a public university the mission of which is to educate the public? I can't think of a more important use than to allow the public the opportunity to listen to the ideas of someone running for president. If Cape Girardeau ever has the opportunity to "Feel the Bern," I hope the doors of Academic Hall will be open just as wide for him.

We've all seen the nonsense coming out of Mizzou and some of their professors over the last year. I hope the same kind of intolerance of opposing views is not taking root at Southeast. Bottom line, while I would defend a person's right to protest outside any event they want, I would think a serious academic would be more likely to come inside and listen to an opposing view. Who knows? They might learn something.

CINDY GAGE, Cape Girardeau