History repeats itself for UNM president

Editor,

I noticed this morning that the “controversies” section of President Schmidly’s Wikipedia page has been updated to include recent events surrounding the (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement.

I didn’t know that as CEO of Oklahoma State University in 2006, Schmidly tried to use eminent domain to raze an entire low-income neighborhood in Stillwater, Okla., to make room for a $165 million athletic center financed by the oil baron T. Boone Pickens. He was also criticized for sacrificing academics for sports. Sound familiar?

Now we know why Schmidly came down so hard on the 99 percenters.

Old habits die hard. I know he’s been given a vote of “no confidence” already. Recent events prove that vote just didn’t cut it. He deserves a vote of “f*** off.”

This is New Mexico, Mr. Schmidly, not Texas or Oklahoma, overrun with sycophantic corporate toadies, racist bullies, religious nuts and anti-intellectual regressives. Nobody with clout is going to side with you this time. This is New Mexico. If you don’t know what that means, you haven’t lived here long enough.

More importantly, Mr. Schmidly, this is the United States of America. You may have heard of my ancestor, John Adams. He was a President, too, and he helped draft the only permit we need to occupy (and un-occupy) Yale Park: the Constitution. You might not like it, but in this regard your opinion is irrelevant.

Keep pouring the gas on the fire, Mr. Schmidly. I was on the fence about our Occupy movement until you cracked down. I’m not on the fence anymore. I’m in Yale Park — or should I say “Stillwater Park”?

We in the 99 percent didn’t start this class war. It started long ago. But we’re damned sure going to win it.
Expect us.

Joseph E. Edwards VIII
UNM student