Letters to the Editor

Private property and freedoms can’t coexist

This letter is in response to Eric Ginsburg’s letter regarding the punishment of Timothy Logan for being involved in the July 12 riot. It doesn’t matter who started what, by "adding fuel to the fire," Logan is still responsible for his actions if they involved breaking the law. We can all agree that it was virtually impossible in a group that big to identify everyone who participated in the riot, so does that mean the people who were identified should be excused?

You have to draw the line somewhere. If two people left the same bar drunk, and one was involved in a drunken driving accident, should he or she be let go because the other person didn’t get caught? The level of severity of the crime is insignificant because the level of the severity of the punishment determines that. Therefore, if you break the law, no matter how "small" or "big", you pay the consequences.

In reference to Ginsburg’s comment about the riot being due to "miseducation," I would like to know where Logan learned that as long as everyone else is doing it, you are permitted to break the law. In fact, I believe it is in elementary school that most of us learn that you can’t blame others for your own actions. Furthermore, education here at Penn State is a privilege. The university should not show "compassion" to someone who abuses that privilege but instead should offer it to someone else who will not only appreciate it but also represent Penn State in a more positive way. Logan is being "deprived of his collegiate education" by none other than himself.

I commend Centre County for finally taking some action in State College. Those of us who can go drinking and have a good time without being destructive would appreciate being able to continue doing so without people such as those involved in the July 12 riot making us look bad. Most importantly, this incident will make others stop and think twice before doing any more damage to State College now that they know some people involved in the riot face expulsion from the university and jail time.

Kerri Smith
junior-Spanish

The Collegian Board of Opinion editorial responded to the punishment of three individuals following a protest of one of our speakers, Star Parker. Although they felt the actions taken by the protesters were inappropriate, they felt the punishment was "far too severe," insisting instead on a warning. I was an eyewitness to the protest. As a student calmly stood at the microphone waiting to voice disagreement with the speaker’s view, several women in fatigues shouted nonsensical phrases into the audience. Their "heckler’s veto" prevented both a dissenting opinion by the student and a response by Parker. Debate ceased for the entirety of their protest.

If such protest had occurred on Coming Out Day, the Board of Opinion would certainly have a different opinion in the case. Cries for a revival of the 1995 "Take a Stand" rally against intolerance would ensue. Many would call for the immediate expulsion of all those involved on grounds of intolerance, bigotry and homophobia.

All our organization desires is equal protection under university policy, and the Office of Judicial Affairs upheld such protections. If Penn State is to be the tolerant community the university aims to promote, then all different viewpoints should be considered equal in relevance and should be equally protected by university policies.

Jeremy Nightingale
treasurer, Penn State Young Americans for Freedom

This letter is in response to Laura Hennessey’s column on dealing with blatant racism from an extremist. The viewpoint stated by the Patriot is not uncommon, especially around here, and I feel that this issue needs to be addressed and now. Recently, it was brought to my attention by a friend’s 14-year-old brother that a large number of students in his junior high-school class can’t wait until they reach the "required age" to become KKK members.

I did not realize until recently just how pervasive ignorance and hate are in central Pennsylvania. I recently learned that just 20 miles from here, in Huntingdon County, a greater percentage of people report being members of a hate group than anywhere else in the country.

The issue Hennessey addresses does not belong to some far-off place, it is a problem that is breeding in our own backyards. State College is the exception in this area, not the rule, and people need to realize this. Something needs to be done about the pervasive spread of racism in rural areas. We need to stop burying our heads in the sand and pretending that this sort of racism is so uncommon as to not be an issue worth dealing with.

The fact that 12- and 13-year-old children openly admit that they can’t wait to become Klan members should be enough to send shivers down peoples’ spines. This problem won’t disappear because we want it to. Something needs to be done about this problem.

Rosemary Garmire
senior-psychology