To the editor:

I’m a 66 year old white male. A native Kansan. I take classes at KU on the senior waiver and am hoping to take HUM 365 this fall from professor Christopher Forth on the history of the angry white male.

Oh, and I’m angry. Very angry.

I’m angry with politicians like Ron Estes, who tweeted recently, “Instead of a course to unite people and empower women, KU has decided to offer a class that divides the student population and could pose a Title IX violation by creating a hostile campus environment based on gender.”

All of a sudden Estes is arguing for uniting people and empowering women? Since when have those wonderful ideas ever been part of his agenda? Evidently the idea of this class has made HIM so angry that he’s suddenly grown a social conscience?

Professor Forth, I hope I’m sitting in your classroom this fall, learning about who I am and exploring parts of my heritage I might not be comfortable with. I’m not afraid of criticism because in my heart I know I’m angry for the right reasons: free speech, equality, gender equity and especially the freedom to explore these difficult issues in a KU classroom!

KU doesn’t have a very good track record recently when it comes to First Amendment issues. Witness the flag art debacle last summer. So I implore KU and professor Forth: Don’t back down! This is a free speech issue as much as anything else.

Please “stay the course” and do not waver.

Rob Hudson,

Lawrence