Hate and intolerance have no place at Dartmouth, and those who feel the need to force their beliefs on others need to get the picture that such behavior is not welcomed here. Those who intentionally hurt and offend others need to be marginalized on campus to the extent that they and others like them do not feel comfortable here.
We don't know who or where the anti-Jewish and anti-gay pamphlets came from, so we may wonder what we can do about them. We can't confront the individual or group directly, and we probably won't be able to change individual minds -- even if we knew them and logically engaged them, it is doubtful that they could be swayed from their intolerant beliefs.
But this doesn't make the issue unimportant, and it doesn't mean we can't do anything. Apathy is an easily rationalized reaction. We can all condemn the mailing and congratulate the Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance and Hillel on a successful rally when they inevitably hold one, but it takes real anger and our own outrage to make a true impact and to really send a message.
The student body of Dartmouth does not support such mailings, but in order to rid ourselves of their hateful messages, we need to actively oppose them. This means protests, rallies, any means we have of letting everyone know that we will not stand for anyone at the College feeling personally hurt or attacked as a result of some other person's malice and ill will.
Dartmouth has had an image of intolerance in the past. We cannot disavow that historical image, but through our own activism, we can bury it, and now is the time. Enough is enough.
Such a message is particularly important as we mail out our invitations to the accepted Class of 2003. As they weigh their options, we need show them that Dartmouth is a place where bigots are not welcome. We need to show them that they can feel comfortable at Dartmouth even if they are a member of a minority group, because intolerance is unacceptable here.
Just as importantly, we need to show them that if they intend to come here, they had better learn to open up their minds. Because if any of those high school seniors are looking for a college where they can push an agenda of hate and intolerance, they should know that they are not welcome here.
