Letter to the editor

Campus response shows vulnerability

When fifteen were killed at Columbine, I agree. When Michael Hatch, for whom the Ten Commandments in my church is dedicated to, was beat to death with a tire iron because he was “special” and a “queer,” I agree. When we encounter a heartless message scribbled on a bathroom stall…

This is an extremely delicate situation and by no means could I ever encourage ignorance as a viable course of action. The message that hate is not tolerated at UWRF, as noble as it is, is not the only message being portrayed in our reaction to this threat. We are simultaneously reinforcing a reoccurring notion that our daily events and even our personal lives can be greatly disrupted by just about anything. We are telling all of those who would act simply to wreak havoc or relish in others’ fear that they will be heard and (although I regret to say) have a fairly good chance of succeeding.

There will always be these insensitive pigs who thrive on fear and hate. I believe that giving them our full attention is succumbing to half the battle.

Instead, let your actions of your everyday lives let us know what you believe. Put your trust in the system designed to protect us from these threats, but also realize that they simply cannot be 100 percent preventative 100 percent of the time.

It would be completely horrible if I were to advise that we should react only after something tragic happens, but on the other side of the coin, reacting too quickly more often than not gets us in trouble in the long run. The middle road is to take this threat to heart and let it be one of the enumerable events that make you who you are and solidify what you believe. This, more than any activism and “opportunities to share,” will ensure that these people have no place at this institution, this community and even in this country.

Jordan Harshman