In response to Thomas Lord’s letter (Nov. 23), his characterization of students’ criticism of the president-elect as “un-American” is as ludicrous as it gets. Although Lord recognizes there is a two-party system, he seems to have forgotten the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech …; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

It’s a good thing the participants in the most American of protests, the Boston Tea Party, didn’t believe that airing their grievances was “un-American.”

Most likely, a person wouldn’t be accepted into Bates College (or any university) if they couldn’t even recall the most basic of American civics lessons.

Even more ludicrous is referring to the “fear-mongering tactics” of the “left media.” Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote (he did not win the vote of a majority of Americans) by being fear-monger-in-chief, preying on people’s fears. We could start with the famous “wall” Trump pledged to build or the registry of people of Muslim faith (First Amendment again — freedom of religion.)

I guess we should be grateful that, one-by-one, the president-by-electoral college-elect, is now reneging on the campaign promises that got him elected. It is unfortunate that those who voted for him couldn’t have seen through his main tactic of preying on their fears.

What else is taught at Bates? Maybe the effects of climate change on the lobster industry. We can’t deny that one — it’s already happening.

Jeff Christiansen, Gorham