I've seen a disturbing trend at Penn State in the past year, and in the Collegian. First, Toby Keith, author of the "Taliban Song" and "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" performed at the Bryce Jordan Center.

I cringed when I saw that a performer who promotes violence and racism was coming to Penn State. A mixed review of Keith's album and feature story about the concert appeared in the Collegian, but the appalling nature of his lyrics was not discussed; they were merely described as "pro-America." This Monday, the WWE returned to Penn State. The Collegian article about this event stated, "Another interesting personality was Muhammad Hassan, an Arab-American who screamed at the crowd that he was tired of being the 'only victim of prejudice in America.'"

What the article failed to mention is that Hassan is portrayed as a villain, and his complaints of injustice are met with a chorus of boos. Signs held up during Hassan's monologue included "Hassan stole my tablecloth," referring to his head covering, and "GO HOME!" Another example of an event taking place on campus that promotes intolerance that was met with deafening silence and acceptance. Finally, there is the matter of the inflammatory letter by Chris Kovalchik. The Collegian has defended their publication of this letter by stating that it reflects the views of many students, but has not published an opinion piece regarding the statements within. Hate speech is terrible, but unavoidable in America; hate speech that receives the tacit acceptance of a university and its newspaper is unacceptable. Acts booked at the Bryce Jordan Center need to be more carefully considered, and the Collegian needs a bit more sensitivity.