Dear Dr. Comerford. I read about you today in the Defender. Thank you for taking the risk to do the right thing. I have a Masters from CSUEB, and I have a step-child with a PhD from CAL who told me I had no critical thinking skills when I defended my stance on the lockdowns, pharma, covid, etc. BTW, RFK, Jr. will be in the Bay Area in person. If you don't yet know about it and are interested in attending, please contact marinfreedom@protonmail.com THANK YOU. Your are a heroine in the belly of the beast and it sounds like you acted with grace and respect, and some people heard you. Brava.
It is unreal what covid (or rather, governments) did to almost the entire world. I still feel like it was all some horrendous nightmare, because it was just that bizarre to live through. Then I read stories like this, reminding me we haven't completely awoken from it yet. I hope both department chairs are able to see the logic and reason in your well-articulated responses to them. I admire RFK Jr greatly, and I bought the book as soon as it was available. I very much appreciate you giving your students an opportunity to examine and reflect on it. It should be required reading in higher ed. It is that important.
Dr. Comerford, I am a current student of yours in your Children in Families and Communities class. Although I agree with other students the that reading load was heavy at times, I learned so much from each of the books you assigned - including The Real Anthony Fauci. I'll admit it's not a book I would have read on my own, so having it assigned opened up a new door. At the hight of the pandemic, I worked at a senior community. We lost many of our beloved residents and every day there was an uncertainty. Many of these residents had prior health issues and were at risk. We took CDC guidelines and precautions seriously. There was a point where residents could not be seen in the ER and many feared being sent as they were not immune to the horror stores circulating. To question the pandemic itself or how it was started and handled does not mean that we ignore the safety of vulnerable populations. Instead, it brings to question how much trust we should instill on those who are meant to guide us. I got covid in January of 2021 and it took me a while to recover. I didn't have to go to the ER or faced any major complications. Luckily I was able to recover at home and was able to return to my usual routine shortly after. Although I wasn't 100% myself after contracting the virus and my physical health plummeted, it was nothing compared to the effects the mandatory vaccine had on my body. In order to continue to work, I had to be fully vaccinated. I loved my job and didn't want to have to resign over a vaccine, so I did it. As a woman, it completely threw off my body and menstrual cycles. I experienced pain and immense fatigue. I admit that it was my responsibility to fully understand what was being put in my body, but during an exhausting time of overwhelming arguments and over saturation of the topic; I went for it. I still don't fully understand how the virus or the vaccine affected my body, but I can certainly say I'm not the same person pre-shut down. I admire you for standing true to your truths and exposing students to information so they can form their own educated decisions. There is so much behind the scenes that we either don't know about or are blissfully ignorant to because it's more comforting to remain in what we now rather than deconstruct our realities. As someone who pays $780 a month for a 30 day supply of medication that allows me to function adequately, it pains me to know that the cost of a single daily pill is $15 to $20 depending on where my prescription is filled simply because there are no current generics as the patent hasn't expired yet. It makes you question anything involving health as it is clear that it's not the important factor here. Again, I want to thank you. I have enjoyed your course and I hope that other students at CSUEB get to experience on of your classes first hand. Thank you for having us critically think about the topics hat matter and directly affect us and the communities we serve.
I went to college in the late 1970s. I still remember a few professors. They all had one thing in common...they challenged me to think for myself. They never once presumed to tell me what I should believe. They are worth remembering. Their colleagues, not so much. Thank you.
I had the same college experience in the late 80s/early 90s. I remember having no speech restrictions in class discussions and presentations, nor in essays, reports and projects. We had full academic freedom, and I look back fondly on those years. I feel so bad for both students and professors today.
You are academia surviving in pseudoacademia. Your students are quite lucky to have you as their instructor. You are helping them developing skills in thinking, a clear threat to totalitarianism.
Dr. Comerford, having had taken a couple of your classes, I had never thought a student could react in the way they reacted in regards to the books you assign. Having read your reply, I can see how they tie in with the student learning outcomes in the syllabus. Although I've wondered why there were so many books assigned, I've learned from each and every one of them, this book included. Thank you for standing up for the freedom you deserve to teach what you want to teach, your intellect, and sharing the books that you find will have the most impact on students. I can see that it's not to change their perspectives but to open their perspectives. It was a pleasure being in your classes!
Thank you for your simple demonstration of common sense and integrity which in today's academic culture, takes courage. You give me hope in the American college system and I hope you inspire other noble professors to not quit.
I'm patiently waiting for a complaint about assigning Franz Fanon. . .
I am curious if, in the future, whether COVID history will be as controversial as, say, WW2, and if reading e.g. RFK's book to better understand the different viewpoints will be as verboten as assigning sections of Mein Kampf
This is why they federalized public education and created the common core curriculum. Teachers no longer assign books but follow a program. Private schools are still free to create their own assignments.
LC just read about you in the Defender. Brava! The only vestige left in the indoctrination places are those, like you, willing to look at what really happened. Give them truth even if it’s only around the water cooler. Nothing is being accomplished by upholding the decorum. I’m about to feature the immense harm that comes from lingering down there in the laity of any preoccupation. The things behind the spell, the mechanisms of control. Please go deep! Please read and share with no fear. The highlight of my career was sitting in your seat being fired by three masked goons, two months before my tenure because I wouldn’t even start down the path of compliance. Truly invigorating! Since then it’s been bliss. If you accept on lie you accept them all.
Hello professor! I am currently in your Child in Families and Community course and have enjoyed it immensely. I've taken another one of your classes last semester, and not once have questioned the authenticity of any readings you have assigned. Although some of the readings can be quite dense, I appreciated how much the readings opened my eyes to the perspectives outside of what we typically see in academia. I see time and time again where discussion posts "encourage free thinking", but if we as students truly want to be successful in the course, we tend to manipulate our posts to lean to the bias of the majority (and of the professor). It is refreshing to read some insight from a professor who truly wants their students to think outside of what we are fed through social media and other platforms. Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer to think for myself and come to my own conclusions based on my own research! And additionally, to not be crucified for questioning what we are blindly believing to be the truth. I will be the first to say I have not felt like your coursework is indoctrinating in any way, it has been quite the opposite. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to those trying to limit your teachings and challenging us to think for ourselves.
So how does the story end? How did the uni respond to your email, did I miss that part? It looked like it shifted from uni correspondence to Twitter censorship?
Great questions, Kathleen. After the student and administrator complaints were resolved, and my classes remained uncensored, crickets from campus. I like crickets. What next happened was that I wrote the Substack article above documenting these events. I hope students, administrators and professors on my campus read this Substack article before they consider trying to censor me again. In a way, I wrote this Substack for them. What happens next? I'm not sure but you'll hear about it here. : )
Crickets really are a happy ending in cases like these. So often it turns out to be true that if you stand up to bullies they slink away and leave you alone!
Thank you for doing your bit for academic freedom, Lynn. That takes courage in these times.
Well done. Thank you for standing uo.
Dear Dr. Comerford. I read about you today in the Defender. Thank you for taking the risk to do the right thing. I have a Masters from CSUEB, and I have a step-child with a PhD from CAL who told me I had no critical thinking skills when I defended my stance on the lockdowns, pharma, covid, etc. BTW, RFK, Jr. will be in the Bay Area in person. If you don't yet know about it and are interested in attending, please contact marinfreedom@protonmail.com THANK YOU. Your are a heroine in the belly of the beast and it sounds like you acted with grace and respect, and some people heard you. Brava.
It is unreal what covid (or rather, governments) did to almost the entire world. I still feel like it was all some horrendous nightmare, because it was just that bizarre to live through. Then I read stories like this, reminding me we haven't completely awoken from it yet. I hope both department chairs are able to see the logic and reason in your well-articulated responses to them. I admire RFK Jr greatly, and I bought the book as soon as it was available. I very much appreciate you giving your students an opportunity to examine and reflect on it. It should be required reading in higher ed. It is that important.
Dr. Comerford, I am a current student of yours in your Children in Families and Communities class. Although I agree with other students the that reading load was heavy at times, I learned so much from each of the books you assigned - including The Real Anthony Fauci. I'll admit it's not a book I would have read on my own, so having it assigned opened up a new door. At the hight of the pandemic, I worked at a senior community. We lost many of our beloved residents and every day there was an uncertainty. Many of these residents had prior health issues and were at risk. We took CDC guidelines and precautions seriously. There was a point where residents could not be seen in the ER and many feared being sent as they were not immune to the horror stores circulating. To question the pandemic itself or how it was started and handled does not mean that we ignore the safety of vulnerable populations. Instead, it brings to question how much trust we should instill on those who are meant to guide us. I got covid in January of 2021 and it took me a while to recover. I didn't have to go to the ER or faced any major complications. Luckily I was able to recover at home and was able to return to my usual routine shortly after. Although I wasn't 100% myself after contracting the virus and my physical health plummeted, it was nothing compared to the effects the mandatory vaccine had on my body. In order to continue to work, I had to be fully vaccinated. I loved my job and didn't want to have to resign over a vaccine, so I did it. As a woman, it completely threw off my body and menstrual cycles. I experienced pain and immense fatigue. I admit that it was my responsibility to fully understand what was being put in my body, but during an exhausting time of overwhelming arguments and over saturation of the topic; I went for it. I still don't fully understand how the virus or the vaccine affected my body, but I can certainly say I'm not the same person pre-shut down. I admire you for standing true to your truths and exposing students to information so they can form their own educated decisions. There is so much behind the scenes that we either don't know about or are blissfully ignorant to because it's more comforting to remain in what we now rather than deconstruct our realities. As someone who pays $780 a month for a 30 day supply of medication that allows me to function adequately, it pains me to know that the cost of a single daily pill is $15 to $20 depending on where my prescription is filled simply because there are no current generics as the patent hasn't expired yet. It makes you question anything involving health as it is clear that it's not the important factor here. Again, I want to thank you. I have enjoyed your course and I hope that other students at CSUEB get to experience on of your classes first hand. Thank you for having us critically think about the topics hat matter and directly affect us and the communities we serve.
I went to college in the late 1970s. I still remember a few professors. They all had one thing in common...they challenged me to think for myself. They never once presumed to tell me what I should believe. They are worth remembering. Their colleagues, not so much. Thank you.
I had the same college experience in the late 80s/early 90s. I remember having no speech restrictions in class discussions and presentations, nor in essays, reports and projects. We had full academic freedom, and I look back fondly on those years. I feel so bad for both students and professors today.
You are academia surviving in pseudoacademia. Your students are quite lucky to have you as their instructor. You are helping them developing skills in thinking, a clear threat to totalitarianism.
Kudos.
Dr. James Lyons-Weiler
We are all fortunate to have your work available to us, helping us develop critical thinking skills, James.
Way to go!
Dr. Comerford, having had taken a couple of your classes, I had never thought a student could react in the way they reacted in regards to the books you assign. Having read your reply, I can see how they tie in with the student learning outcomes in the syllabus. Although I've wondered why there were so many books assigned, I've learned from each and every one of them, this book included. Thank you for standing up for the freedom you deserve to teach what you want to teach, your intellect, and sharing the books that you find will have the most impact on students. I can see that it's not to change their perspectives but to open their perspectives. It was a pleasure being in your classes!
Finally, a true American academic hero(ine).
Well done,
Allan Spreen, MD
Jacksonville, Florida
Thank you for your simple demonstration of common sense and integrity which in today's academic culture, takes courage. You give me hope in the American college system and I hope you inspire other noble professors to not quit.
I'm patiently waiting for a complaint about assigning Franz Fanon. . .
I am curious if, in the future, whether COVID history will be as controversial as, say, WW2, and if reading e.g. RFK's book to better understand the different viewpoints will be as verboten as assigning sections of Mein Kampf
This is why they federalized public education and created the common core curriculum. Teachers no longer assign books but follow a program. Private schools are still free to create their own assignments.
LC just read about you in the Defender. Brava! The only vestige left in the indoctrination places are those, like you, willing to look at what really happened. Give them truth even if it’s only around the water cooler. Nothing is being accomplished by upholding the decorum. I’m about to feature the immense harm that comes from lingering down there in the laity of any preoccupation. The things behind the spell, the mechanisms of control. Please go deep! Please read and share with no fear. The highlight of my career was sitting in your seat being fired by three masked goons, two months before my tenure because I wouldn’t even start down the path of compliance. Truly invigorating! Since then it’s been bliss. If you accept on lie you accept them all.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sinatana/p/identify-yourself_its-required?r=zickz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Love
Hello professor! I am currently in your Child in Families and Community course and have enjoyed it immensely. I've taken another one of your classes last semester, and not once have questioned the authenticity of any readings you have assigned. Although some of the readings can be quite dense, I appreciated how much the readings opened my eyes to the perspectives outside of what we typically see in academia. I see time and time again where discussion posts "encourage free thinking", but if we as students truly want to be successful in the course, we tend to manipulate our posts to lean to the bias of the majority (and of the professor). It is refreshing to read some insight from a professor who truly wants their students to think outside of what we are fed through social media and other platforms. Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer to think for myself and come to my own conclusions based on my own research! And additionally, to not be crucified for questioning what we are blindly believing to be the truth. I will be the first to say I have not felt like your coursework is indoctrinating in any way, it has been quite the opposite. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to those trying to limit your teachings and challenging us to think for ourselves.
So how does the story end? How did the uni respond to your email, did I miss that part? It looked like it shifted from uni correspondence to Twitter censorship?
Great questions, Kathleen. After the student and administrator complaints were resolved, and my classes remained uncensored, crickets from campus. I like crickets. What next happened was that I wrote the Substack article above documenting these events. I hope students, administrators and professors on my campus read this Substack article before they consider trying to censor me again. In a way, I wrote this Substack for them. What happens next? I'm not sure but you'll hear about it here. : )
Crickets really are a happy ending in cases like these. So often it turns out to be true that if you stand up to bullies they slink away and leave you alone!