Bradsjournal: My Farewell Address

Well...as they say, all good things must come to an end. This is officially my last column as the editor of the World News section of The Carroll News. We have been through a lot together over the last seven months and I have a few loose ends I want to tie up before I ride off into the proverbial sunset.
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has written for me this past year in this section. It is because of you guys that we have been so successful in bringing current events to the student body of this beautiful institution of higher learning.

I would also like to thank all of the faculty who gave us their expert opinions to put into our news stories. Being harassed by student journalists for quotes must be annoying at times, but we really appreciate what you have to say.

Next, I would like to thank everybody who has supported me and this column. I have gotten countless e-mails from people telling me how much they enjoy reading what I have to say. In all honesty, I am not really the type who needs positive reinforcement, but it does feel good when people go out of their way to express their support.

I would also like to thank Katie Mahoney, the outgoing editor-in-chief of The Carroll News. I know that she has received many letters from people complaining about me. Even some people on this staff have gone to her and voiced their opposition to my column. But she never waivered in her support of me – and that’s pretty awesome.

I suppose I should also give a shout out to all the other editors of The Carroll News. I can honestly say that there is no one else I would rather spend twelve hours a week with, pro bono, than you bunch of goofballs. But in all seriousness, you guys made those late nights fun and I have come out of this experience with a lot of new friends, something I do not take for granted. And Bob Noll. Thanks for everything, Bob.

Last, and certainly least, I would like to thank the legions of people who, on a weekly basis, make it crystal clear how big of an idiot I am. A lesser person might be offended by some of the letters I have received during my tenure here, but not this guy. I get a kick out of reading correspondence from people saying that I am stupid, or that what I have to say is against the Jesuit philosophy, or that I must be participating in various sex acts with Dick Cheney, or that my opinion alone is ruining the credibility of The Carroll News as a whole and on and on and on. I really enjoyed a letter to the editor last week where someone anointed me as “Captain America.” I’m guessing that was supposed to be an insult but the reality is quite the contrary. I wear that title with honor thank you very much! Maybe that person would like to make me a pin that says, “Brad Negulescu = Captain America!” That would be very nice.

Some might think I am joking when I say that I enjoy getting hate mail, but it’s the God’s honest truth. My intention in writing this column was not soley to make people mad who disagree with me, but to make people think a little. I don’t care if a reader agrees with every word I say (even though they should because I am always right), I just want people our age to become more informed about our world and subsequently form their own opinions. So, in actuality, the more hate mail I get, the more successful I am.

And for all you haters out there who tried to silence me, I remind you that that pesky First Amendment thing we have is not there to protect speech that you always agree with, it is there to protect speech you don’t agree with. That’s the beauty of living in a democracy people.

As for me, I graduate in December with my masters in history, then its on to rule the world, and I mean that. In the meantime, I will be around campus championing conservative causes because well – it’s what I do. With that said, its a wrap on me. Keep it real JCU. God Bless.