Editor,
I am appalled at the University's stance on the incident involving the hateful evangelist. Sure, he had every right to be on campus because of his permit, and he had every right to say whatever he wanted - as long as it does not violate the rights of UNM students.
Such permits need to be regulated more closely.
We have the right to an environment conducive to learning. We have the right to attend the school that we have paid for without fear of persecution. We have the right to believe whatever we want to and not be harassed because of it. We have the right to be whatever sexual orientation we are and not be harassed because of it. We have the right to be the gender we were born into and not be harassed for it.
The statements of the UNM Police Department are biased. Bourgault was not doing "normal preaching" or merely "telling" people things - he was screaming at them, getting in their faces and pointing fingers. He was preaching bigotry and hatred and soiling the name of Christianity while pissing on students' rights to not be harassed. He was not "saving" anybody - he was judging and condemning people, and it is not his place to do so.
I commend Meisha Dwight for her decision - she did what a lot of us wanted to do.
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Katarina Garcia
UNM student
