To the Editor:
Ours is a community where individual freedoms and diverse expression are respected and celebrated. Yet, just as individuals are free to make their own expressions, so too must they understand that with freedom comes responsibility. When an individual chooses to make a deliberate expression of hate and intolerance, that individual must know that our community will neither stand aside in fear nor sit quietly in isolated protest. We will respond, and we will respond collectively. Hate and prejudice, in any form or function, will define neither our College nor our community.
Furthermore, as a responsible part of a diverse whole, each of us must be committed equally to understanding, as well as condemning, our recent campus incident. We should all be gravely concerned that a member of our community intentionally and anonymously directed a symbol that represents hate toward another individual.
We must seek answers, though they may be painful and challenging, through our conversations. By responsibly and respectfully thinking and acting together, we can all effect change in positive and practical ways.
