Student reactions to anti-gay and anti-Jewish pamphlets anonymously mailed to members of the Dartmouth community over the past week ranged from anger to disbelief, but most of the students interviewed by The Dartmouth yesterday agreed that the actions of the individual or group who mailed the pamphlets were ignorant and cowardly.
The pamphlets, which featured cartoon strips condemning homosexuals and Jews, were mailed to officers of the Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance, Student Assembly President Josh Green '00, who is Jewish, Dean of the Tucker Foundation Scott Brown, Interim College Chaplain Gwendolyn King and Rabbi Edward Boraz of Dartmouth Hillel.
Student leaders of Dartmouth Hillel and the Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance spoke out against the action, calling it "disappointing" and "cowardly."
DRA co-chair Niegel Smith '02, one the students who opened the mailing, said he was appalled.
"On a personal level it made me feel fearful and very unwelcome in this community," Smith said.
The DRA held a special meeting last night with all the involved parties to discuss what happened and why these particular groups were targeted.
"The general feeling [within the DRA] was that ... the material itself attacked our community ... they should not have sent a mailing that was intended to hurt others," Smith said.
A possible forum on the incident has been discussed, but DRA Treasurer and former co-chair Ezekiel Webber '00 said he felt a forum may give the actions of one person or a small group more attention than they deserve.
"I'd like to just blow off this basic act of cowardice and hate," Webber said.
Webber said he felt that although there are people at Dartmouth who disagree with homosexuality on a religious basis, the usual attitude was one of "agreeing to disagree" and not the extreme beliefs expressed in the mailings.
"The acts of a small minority are going to shape how people see this school and I don't think they're shaping it in an accurate way," Webber said.
Hillel vice-president for programming Noah Phillips '00 said he was disappointed in the actions of those responsible for the mailing.
"I'm somewhat taken aback that people would have the lack of decency to send something like this," Phillips said.
"This comes in the middle of the Passover holiday, so the timing is particularly offensive," Phillips said.
Hillel will most likely discuss the mailing at their meeting tonight, Phillips said.
Jamie Peschel '99 called the cartoon he saw in yesterday's edition of The Dartmouth "unbelievable" and called the anonymous approach taken by the mailers "pathetic."
"I think there's a certain amount of discourse that needs to be upheld at Dartmouth, and this falls well below that," Peschel said. "It clearly shows this was an act of hate and not education."
The anonymous nature of the mailings came under attack from many students who felt people must be held accountable for the opinions they express.
"I think if people want to voice their opinions they have every right to, but they should put their name to it and face the consequences of voicing that opinion," Chris Dreisback '00 said.
However, some students also defended the right to freedom of speech, even if that speech is offensive and potentially hurtful.
"You can't just protect freedom of speech some of the time," Evan Hoffman '01 said. However, he said he didn't agree with the message sent by the pamphlets.
The mailings were sent through Hinman mail and given Crusade for Christ HB 5072 as a return address. The Campus Crusade for Christ has denied any involvement and the incident is under investigation by Safety and Security.
