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AND I HAVE PROCESSOR ANN JOHNS
ON THE PHONE.
I HEARD YOU WEREN'T WATCHING TV
WHEN HE SAID THAT BUT ONCE YOU
SAW IT, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO
SAID, YEAH, I'M GOING TO WRITE A
LETTER.
YOU ACTUALLY DID.
WHY?
>> WELL, I ACTUALLY HEARD ABOUT
THIS FIRST NOT ON TV BUT IN SOME
OF MY PROFESSIONAL LISTSERVS AND
I DECIDED, WELL, THIS IS GREAT,
TALKING AND THINKING ABOUT IT
BUT MAYBE I'LL JUST WRITE A
LETTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
MAYBE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS I
WRITE A LETTER TO A POLITICIAN.
SO I DID, AND OF COURSE I DIDN'T
SAVE IT BECAUSE YOU GO TO THE
WHITE HOUSE WEBSITE AND YOU TYPE
IT IN AND IT GOES INTO THE --
AND IT'S GONE.
AND ABOUT 12 DAYS LATER I GOT --
ACTUALLY, I GOT AN E-MAIL WITH A
PDF OF THE NOTE.
>> AND WHEN YOU SAW THAT, WHAT
WERE YOU THINKING?
>> WELL, I THINK I WASN'T EVEN
THINKING FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
I JUST DIDN'T -- I SAT AND
STARED AT IT BECAUSE WHOEVER
THINKS IN A MILLION YEARS THEY
ARE GOING TO GET A PERSONAL NOTE
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY
GRACIOUS NOTE.
I'M VERY PLEASED WITH IT.
AND I JUST GOT THE REAL ONE
TODAY.
>> THE REAL ONE, THAT'S THE
PICTURE WE'VE BEEN SHARING.
YOU SHARED IT WITH US AND WE
SHARED IT WITH EVERYONE.
I READ THAT YOU WEREN'T EVEN
SURE I WANTED TO GO PUBLIC WITH
THIS APOLOGY FROM THE PRESIDENT.
HOW COME?
>> WELL, I DON'T NEED TO TELL
YOU ABOUT THE MEDIA.
>> WHAT?
>> SO I THOUGHT, WELL, I'M NOT
REALLY SURE IF I SHOULD DO
ANYTHING.
AND THEN I THOUGHT I'D LIKE MY
STUDENTS TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND
INCLUDING MY PAST STUDENTS AND
FORMER STUDENTS AND ONE WAY I
CONNECT WITH THEM IS LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE, THROUGH
FACEBOOK.
SO I POSTED IT AND IT MADE ITS
WAY TO A -- MAYBE NOT SO LITTLE
LITTLE NOW AFTER THIS, A LITTLE
ART BLOG IN NEW YORK AND IT JUST
ROLLED FROM THERE.
SO -- BUT I THINK THAT I HAVE,
OF COURSE, GOTTEN A WIDE RANGE
OF RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE.
SOME CRAZY RESPONSES JUST FLAT
OUT CRAZY.
>> WELL, THAT HAPPENS.
THAT HAPPENS.
>> YES.
AGAIN, I'M SURE YOU KNOW.
BUT THE RESPONSE FROM MY
STUDENTS, BOTH PRESENT AND PAST
HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY
POSITIVE.
THEY FEEL REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE