I read your article, and it’s very clear that you are passionate about how you feel in regard to political correctness, and so am I. First, let’s define the term. According to Merriam-Webster, politically correct means “agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people,” and that was their “simple” definition. I’m curious to know if you actually knew this definition before you wrote your article. If not, now you do.

Your article does raise an interesting point. There are people who both work at and attend this university who feel they are walking on eggshells, trying not to accidentally crack the feelings of a minority group on campus. I assure you that is not the intention of people who believe in being politically correct. We want to speak about how we feel, and that is something that American citizens should cherish as a right of freedom. The act of being politically correct doesn’t mean you cannot voice your opinions. It means that you should do so in a polite and well-educated way.

However, targeting one group does not follow that line of respect, and whether you realize it or not, that’s exactly what you did in your letter. You point out the act of being too politically correct in regard to sex, gender and sexuality, yet you reference nothing about race or class, and barely touch on religion, only referencing atheists complaining about Christmas tress.

These are all groups with very distinct and, in your eyes, “too politically correct” minorities. Why did you only feel the need to cover what seems to be the LGBT group? To claim that you’re not attempting to single out one group of individuals and offend them, as per the definition we laid out on “politically correct,” you have made yourself a public, ignorant liar at not only a greatly diverse school, but your own place of work.

For one, I did read closely when you talked about all of the forms of love being created equal. I found it interesting that heterosexual also made that list. I can give you two words that should sum up a majority of the issue with your statement and that is CONSENTING ADULTS. Necrophilia, bestiality and pedophilia are all forms of relationships that do not consist of consenting adults. The reason that incestuous relationships are not, is there has been scientific evidence that it can cause birth defects because of the closeness in genetics, as well as certain cases of pedophilia, rape and psychological manipulation playing a role.

I’m also not sure that comparing a trans* individual to the alien limb syndrome you mention is appropriate. For one, gender and sex are different from each other.

Gender is a societal expectation, much like you’re proving in your letter by expecting people to behave a certain way. Sex, however, is biological, but can also be changed with modern science and technology. This is important to point out because a large impacter on trans* people is gender, which is society’s view of how they should be.

Why is society so concerned with what another individual dresses in or chooses to be? Now, yes, someone cutting off their limb is a bit of a concern, mainly because it is an actual danger to their safety, as well as others. Being trans* is not dangerous, nor does it affect someone’s safety.

Now, Mr. Braun, there are parts of your letter that I just simply don’t understand. For instance, the zodiac sign. After working at this campus for nine years, as you claim, I’m appalled that you seem to not understand the meaning of the tradition of the zodiac sign.

People don’t avoid it because they find it annoying. They avoid it because there is a myth that if students walk over the zodiac, they will fail their next test. To combat that, they must throw a penny in the Fountain of the Four Seasons. Ask any ISU tour guide taking prospective students around campus.

Also, you mention that we as a university ignore sustainability. Did you know that there are many great student organizations and programs at Iowa State University that promote sustainability and a better environment? We are not an ignorant campus and we actually do great things for our environment through things such as Keep Iowa State Beautiful, Conservation Club, Engineers for a Sustainable World, NextGen Climate, Environmental Education Club and The Green Umbrella, just to name a few.

To further educate yourself on LGBT matters, you can visit the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services center on campus, as it’s clear that you have been misinformed about many of the aspects of this community.

In closing, you might want to talk to your employer, ISU Dining, and ensure that they are providing adequate diversity training, as not being accepting and “politically correct” to the many diverse and ever-changing students on this campus creates a very unsafe environment for them.

Times have changed, and sure, you may view it as a sensitivity problem, but I view it as people listening and engaging with one another. We’re finally learning to respect the needs of others, whether we agree with them or not.

I’m glad we’re not back in the 1980s, otherwise LGBT people wouldn’t be able to get married or adopt children. Think of what all has happened since the 1980s in regard to so many civil rights fronts, and this is all because we’ve been respecting one another and listening. To me, that is progress, and I urge the communities that were targeted by your letter to not be hurt by your words, and instead use them as a chance to educate and sustain our diverse communities and to end discrimination.