Letter to the editor
Fairness not achieved in debate coverage
March 2, 2007
I’ve often wondered why conservative Americans are so misrepresented on this campus and around the world, and now I’m beginning to understand it. In Jennie Oemig’s “coverage” of the President’s Day Great Campus Debate, the conservative voice was silenced and manipulated. Not only was the article poorly written, it was also very one-sided.
I am disappointed that the hard work and frustrated efforts of the Republicans have been overlooked by the Student Voice.
In my opinion, all three groups did a wonderful job explaining their viewpoints. Everyone was very educated and supported their beliefs. I appreciate and have great respect for the College Democrats and the Socialist Alternative group. They have their opinions and we, the Republicans, have ours.
If everyone believed the same things, there would have been no debate. Everyone’s voice was heard on February 19th, so why has Jennie Oemig chosen to exclude us in her article by choosing quotes that misrepresent our political beliefs? By including three boldfaced quotes to represent every group but the CR’s? By quoting the very intelligent and respectable Josh Sandey as saying “We don’t know what [global warming] is,” when it was very clear at the debate that he has been well-informed? By stating that Jennifer Jamison based her opinions on “scientific proof” when the proper term would be scientific evidence?
Perhaps it’s because she, like the majority of students here at UWRF, has bought into the theory that both our president and our country are disgraceful entities, and the left side has all the answers.
Well, not everyone is in agreement, and we want to be heard. We want to see a campusnewspaper that will show equal respect to all its students. We want to be allowed to have an opinion, just like we’ve allowed everyone else their opinions. Come on River Falls, let’s move past this intolerance and discriminatory hatred and accept that we just don’t agree.
Corrin Claypool
Student