Dear Editor,

I just wanted to offer you the email I just sent to Professor Tracy:

Professor Tracy:

I am an FAU Alumni and I took a communications course that looked at film critically, including the President Kennedy assassination. As a writer, I support free speech, critical thinking, and skepticism. I believe encouraging the development of those skills is within the scope of your job responsibilities as a professor. However, presenting your opinion as fact is the not the same thing. Being controversial or contrarian for the sake of being so is not a measure of intellectualism.

Surely, in your academic pursuits, it has been made apparent that broadcasting photos of dead children would not only be overtly inappropriate, but qualify only as sensationalism not responsible journalism.

While I support free speech, I do not support it at the expense of decency and decorum. It is disappointing that someone who considers himself a communications academic cannot grasp the importance of being respectful in presenting his alternative opinion.

Respectfully,

Marianne E. Murphy
Writer & Editor
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I honestly do believe in free speech….and in the halls of learned men and women it is critical that it be unadulterated….I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around someone who yells fire in a theater though when there is no flame nor smoke. The Supreme Court wrestled with this issue also… and I think we all know what side they came down on.

Tom Botelho
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Mr. Tracy,

Because of your narrow world view that denies anything from reality that could interfere with your lunatic personal opinions, I’m glad I don’t have a son or daughter who’s a member of any of your classes, because I’d pull them out immediately. I’m also thankful that none of my children, family members or friends were not in the Newtown massacre that you deny happening.

Your very presence at FAU discredits and fouls the entire university. Shame on you.

Rick Thompson

Ed note: These were the only letters to the editor the University Press received in the past two weeks regarding professor James Tracy.