To the one
Reading Time: 2 minutesDear downwithgays74,
I know who you are.
I don’t see you often, but often enough to make an impression on you. It’s a strong one, I can tell.
Friends, ones truer than you, ask me if I’ve heard what you’ve done or said recently. We are almost like old friends. We talk about one another as often as possible but choose to avoid one another as often as possible.
I see you in the hallways giving looks of disapproval. I hear your prejudiced comments in class.
I think you want to prove your beliefs do not inform your own biases, or that you haven’t ever attempted to impose those biases and judgments on others.
Such a delusion explains why, although you don’t spell well, you know enough about sending anonymous emails to know how to cover your tracks well.
You prefer to insult instead of talking things out. You also prefer making your insults from the dark. You also prefer to think you are not alone in your opinion.
But you are.
A coalition of students has formed to stop bigoted individuals like you from attacking individuals like Tom Hawkins. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
Hypocrites and cowards make unfounded arguments from the darkness. Your inadequacy is matched only by the malice that must have gone into the memo you disseminated to students. But most of these students have responded in horror, anger and passioned resolve to protect homosexuals on this campus from being harassed by hypocrites and cowards. So it turns out you sent your memo to some of the wrong people.
Students working in politics, philosophy, religion, science and fine arts have all raised one multiplied voice of celebration in diversity and support of homosexuals. Freshmen and seniors alike have stood together rallying to counter your discrimination.
Professors have told me, “Mark my words: good will come of this.”
Newly elected members of student government have sent their support as well.
President Holland has voiced empathy and solidarity with Hawkins, in front of my own eyes, and he is determined to work to make whatever institutional changes are necessary to make our campus inclusive of everyone, even prejudiced individuals.
Members of this community stand true to our belief that we live in a beautiful world where our humanity can be so varied and yet so free. Each of these people take your memo about Hawkins as a personal offense. And in the coming days, there will be more allied together against ignorant bigotry like yours.
So here’s some advice: the next time you want to attack us, try having the guts to do it to our face.