On Wednesday, Sept. 26, The Daily Collegian ran a controversial advertisement titled "America at War: The Moral Imperative for Self-Defense," which was paid for by the Ayn Rand Institute. The advertisement was composed of two parts. The first part announced an upcoming speaker, Dr. Andrew Bernstein, and the second was an essay written by Leonard Peikoff, the founder of The Ayn Rand Institute. Although the announcement of the speaker is an acceptable subject to advertise, the Peikoff essay was offensive to readers and to Collegian business staff members.

While we welcome and encourage diverse views, we identify a fine line between a voice of opinion and an impediment on other's rights and safety. This article crossed that line. Upon initial viewing, this essay appears to be news content which itself is misleading. The actual content of this essay maligns supposed "terrorist nations" in the Middle East and suggests a course of action disregarding potential numerous innocent casualties.

Some groups are notorious for attempting to place this type of advertisement. The decision to run a potentially divisive ad is a prevalent issue among college newspapers, as it is at the Collegian.

At the Collegian, the business manager must approve all aspects of such controversial advertisements before they are inserted. Due to a breakdown in procedures, I did not preview or approve this ad. While paid-for advertisements do not reflect the opinions of either the business or editorial staff, we do reserve the right to reject advertising. If the ad had been properly screened, the Peikoff essay would have been omitted. I apologize for this breakdown.

The business manager makes the final decision to reject or accept advertising. This is a standard responsibility, as well as a privilege. Through this position, I have encouraged a business atmosphere that fosters positive growth for advertisers and students. This particular ad does not contribute to this goal.

The management staff has increased its efforts to ensure that advertisements of a questionable nature and offensive content are screened properly and that insertion procedures are strictly enforced. The Business Division held an all-staff meeting Monday night to discuss this advertisement, policy, and enforcement of insertion procedure. We renew our dedication to increased attention to potentially harmful ads to the student body.

We recognize the sensitive and timely nature of this issue, and as a staff, the Collegian's business division would like to promote unity and understanding in our community.