Replies

My husband forwarded this email to me from an unknown source. This fella was STEAMED! Enjoy.

If anyone feels compelled to express an opinion to this ignorant disease here is his information!

Name: Kirstein, Peter N.
Title: Professor
Dept: History & Political Science
Room: N229
Phone Ext: 3283
Email: kirstein@sxu.edu
WWW: http://www.sxu.edu/history/pkirstein

For grins I sent a private email (from Yahoo) to the "professor" and got the same reply that is at the bottom of this thread. I didn't believe at first this was real, but it really appears to be... man, what an a$$hole.

I wonder how many emails that address is going to receive from .gov's in the next few months?

From an outspoken friend....

Now I'm a pretty laid back guy, and few and far between are the events that really piss me off. Sure we all get frustrated or a little irritable every now and again, but I'm talking really pissed off. So I'm sure you'll share my suprise when I opened my inbox and read this little exchange between a cadet at the Air Force Academy and a processor of history from Saint Xavier University...

(Snip: The original correspondence is already posted on FR)

So that, as one might expect sent me into a f**king tirade. I mean I saw f**king stars. I wanted to kick my dog. I wanted to smack my television. I wanted to drive to Chicago and take a great big sh*t on ol’ Peter's car. But instead, I cooled down and calmly came to the realization that this matter will need to be handled with diplomacy and tact instead of brute force and anger. So I wrote the following letter to our dear professor and cc'd the President of Saint Xavier University....

Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2002 210815 –0500
To: kirstein@sxu.edu
Cc: Dr. Richard Yanikoski
From: Ernie
Subject: Fwd Re Academy Assembly

Hey Petey,

This email was forwarded to me by one of my subscribers, and to say that I found it's content distasteful would, at the very least, be a booming understatement. You are walking proof that even the most well educated people can still be frustratingly ignorant of the happenings in the world around them, stumbling around through life with blinders on like a retired draft horse. You see I, as are many average Joe Americans, am under the apparently false impression that our nation's educators are a tolerant and enlightened bunch who foster thought and dialog with those they are charged with teaching. Your blatant hypocrisy in this area has proved that theory is no more than wishful thinking on an earth-shattering scale.

The kid came to you simply asking for some contact information not to overthrow the world, and certainly not to be subjected to a tongue lashing fueled by your political views regarding events that happened well before he even graduated middle school. But since you're so willing to open your big fat mouth and cast your ante into the political poker table, I'd like to call your hand.

Let's take a look at what we've got here. A young person came to you and very politely asked for your assistance and you not only rebuked them and refused to help, but further added insult to injury by attacking them personally. Why did you do this? Because you disagree with what this person does for a living? Could you not simply just ignore their request, or perhaps reply with a polite, "Sorry not interested." Or would that be too low key for you? Maybe you're not strong enough to deprive yourself from the personal gratification you get when tossing some venomous, unprovoked remarks at someone who doesn't share your same views about the world?

You Mr. Kirstein, are the real disgrace to this country, and I am appalled you would *not* support the soldiers, sailors, marines, and yes airmen -- who put their lives at risk so you don't have to. But hey, that's your right as an American I suppose.

Let us for the moment overlook the irony of the fact that if you were to criticize the governments of Palestine, Vietnam, Serbia or Iraq, you would be drug out of your house during the middle of the night; probably stripped naked before the eyes of your crying children and weeping spouse, beaten unmercifully in the town square, executed with a bullet to the back of your brain, all before having your rotting corpse serve as a warning to those who oppose the government's rule. Let us further overlook the irony that the only reason people like you aren't beaten and killed for voicing such idiotic fantasies, is because so many men and women of our military past have chosen to give their lives in place of yours.

Instead let's look at website bio, you say you teach peace and freedom. And yet you call one of those who keeps you safe and defends your freedom a "coward" and a "baby killer" and even go so far as to suggest the military personnel of this country are responsible for the 3,000 terrorist victims of last year's attacks.

No, those aren't the words of someone who practices peace and freedom, those are the words of a grade-a certified A$$HOLE.

You want cowardly, Pete? How about the concept of flying a plane into thousands of innocent men, women and children is cowardly. Try that on for cowardly size and see how it fits.

But while we're on the subject of what pisses off who, I should confess I'm furious that you pretend to understand the situations in which these people fought and died because you read a few textbooks, snapped some pictures, and maybe even took the time to browse through a few tourist brochures, while other people -- people much better than you -- speak of these places with first hand knowledge and have the scars and nightmares to prove it.

These heroes of battles past that are the true teachers of our nation's wartime history, not some self righteous has-been with a fancy diploma and a lifetime subscription to National Geographic. But I think most of all, I am furious that someone who claims to be a well respected educator, would refuse to help a student from any institution of learning simply because of conflicting political views.

In my opinion, I don't think that person is teacher at all but more of a fraud, a fraud who damned well ought to be ashamed of themselves and offer that student their most humble apologies.

And I'd like to think that you'd be ashamed little Petey, but again let's be honest, that would just be more wishful thinking, wouldn't it?

You insulted all military personnel, past, present and future, you did it while acting in the official capacity as a History Professor of Saint Xavier University, and therefore have spoken on behalf of the University. That's very important because in this country Mr Kirstein, we don't publicly execute people for voicing their opinions against the government, we subject them to something far greater power: the court of public opinion.

Since you seem so eager to voice your political views on others, I'm going to make it easy for them to return the favor. In addition to sending this to the President of Saint Xavier University and his staff to see firsthand the calibre of intolerance they have representing them, I am also posting it, along with your contact information, to the front page of my website for all my daily visitors to see. I'm also going to forward copies to the editors of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times, along with a few radio stations in your area.

Hopefully, you'll get a taste of your own medicine and won't be so eager to impose your warped moral code on others.

Yes you say you teach peace and freedom, but both the intolerance with which you seem to treat people that harbor different views than you and the enthusiasm with which you persecute them, is quite frightening. I hope that cadet not only doesn't resign their commission but instead continues on to serve their country proudly for a long time. You on the other hand, much like the old draft horse, should have been retired out to the back pasture a long time ago.

In closing, I want you to know that this evening while I'm sitting on my couch and watching the news to see which new terrorist scumbag didn't complete his morning coffee run thanks to a Hellfire missile, you'll be in my thoughts; I'll be praying you get hit by a big f**king bus.

God bless the USA, and woe to her enemies.

Warmest regards,

Ernie Stewart Jr
USAF, 1991-1996

P.S. Nice picture. Keep the sweater. This way you look as bizarre and outdated as your sense of reality, you bow-tied schmuck. I felt better. I vented, and it felt good. And then I received this auto-reply...

Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 20:07:25 –0600
From: "Peter Kirstein"
To: ernie@ehowa.com

Due to considerable off-campus interest in a private correspondence with a military person, I am posting this. The situation has been resolved on a personal level with humility, mutual respect and friendliness. May nations also learn differences can be overcome, disagreements bridged and that peace and harmony are possible.

I apologize for offending the countless men and women of the military who serve this nation with professionalism and dedication to their mission.

First off by noting the "private message" is a sly way of implying there was some breech of trust here. I don't think so. Did he send it from his work account? Yes. Did he reply with "Professor of History" in his email footer? Yes. Was the original question posted to him in an official capacity because of his position? yes. Then guess what Jack, that wasn't a private email it was official correspondence. not to mention if he didn't want to be famous for his controversial views he shouldn't have been so f**king anxious to share them.

Want to offer a real apology Pete? Why not post it on your page of the university website, maybe somewhere among the "challenge American unilateralism" propoganda and the plug for your new book, "False Dissenters: Manhattan Project Scientists and the Use of the Atomic Bomb".

So now I leave it in your hands, fair reader, the judge and jury in the court of public opinion. Personally, I think "oops I'm sorry" is something you say to someone after you step on their foot when the subway comes to an abrupt halt. I don't think it quite covers labeling generations of America's warriors as "cowards" and "babykillers".

But that's just my opinion.