Letters
to the editor
Fellow scholar defends accused
This
letter is in response to the recent events
that have occurred in Parkside Commons.
I am sure that by now everyone has heard
some version of the story. What most people
haven’t heard is the true story.
The truth is that Robbie didn’t write “I
hate niggers” on the wall, and didn’t draw
the swastika either, but certain people
feel that is their right to say that it
was him, and try and get him kicked out
of the dorms and the school.
I noticed in the front-page article on Nov.
7 that stated that some people feel threatened
by Robbie. I wonder how these people think
that Robbie is threatening him, when they
don’t even know him, and if they did know
him, they would know that Robbie wouldn’t
hurt a fly.
I also wonder if everyone heard that when
Robbie got out of the shower the morning
after the incident there were six African-American
males surrounding Robbie. To me, that is
more threatening than some words on a wall.
About the allegation that Robbie is racist.
Well, I doubt that many of you know that
most of his friends back home were African-American.
To me, the racist person in all of this
is a certain R.A. who doesn’t take the time
to find out the real facts, or the real
perpetrator. I always thought that it was
the R.A.’s job to solve conflicts between
people in the dorms, not create them and
escalate them, but maybe that’s just me.
I am not writing this to put down anyone
or say that they aren’t helping the situation,
but it is almost inevitable. All I really
want is for people to realize that they
shouldn’t pass judgment on Robbie when they
don’t know the true story or, and more importantly,
him!
If you were to talk to Robbie, you would
realize that he is incapable of this act,
and you would definitely change your mind.
It’s just sad that the same people that
called him “narrow-minded and ignorant”
are in fact themselves the ones who are
“narrow-minded and ignorant” since they
seem to only be hearing one side of the
story, and are either too stubborn or stupid
to hear the other side.
In conclusion, I would like to say shame
on the R.A.s who have predisposed Robbie’s
guilt in this case and haven’t done their
job. I would also like to say thank you
for reading this. Before you pass judgment
on Robbie, find out the real story, and
if you get a chance please talk to him because
not only will you realize that he didn’t
do this, but you will probably come out
with a new friend.
—
Jonathan Oliveira
freshman President’s Scholar
Friend
of accused speaks out
Almost
everyone on campus has in fact heard about
the “hate crime” that happened over a week
ago. But the truth is that almost no one
knows about what really happened. Almost
no one was in the area where it happened
or even saw it for himself. All these people
are mad about something they really know
nothing about. I am not saying that I am
not appalled by what was written on the
wall. I am ashamed as anyone that someone
could have written something so hateful.
I would have liked to think that in this
day and age, we would be able to get past
things like that, especially in such a diverse
area.
Even though I am appalled by what was written,
I am more appalled by all the people that
have only read what has happened, or heard
from a person who heard from this other
person who heard from, well, you get the
point, that Robbie is such an evil guy and
needs to be punished, which includes being
kicked out of school.
How many of you actually know Robbie? How
many of you have even seen him on campus
before? Not many I’m sure. And how many
of you know first hand what happened that
night? Very few at all.
I know Robbie very well. You may say that
might distort my view of everything that
happened. Maybe it does. I will admit, since
he is a friend, of course I am going to
believe him. But that’s also because I know
that if he really had done it, he would
have told me.
The
article that was put in the paper was very
slimly researched, and did not uncover the
whole truth. You may have read that Robbie
had a problem with his R.A. when in fact
Robbie had never talked to that R.A. until
the morning after the incident. Also, he
did not tell her it was just a joke. I was
there both times he talked to her. So that
is false. The truth is that Robbie did not
write it. If anyone were to sit down and
talk to him, he will admit it was his friend
who wrote it on the wall. He can even prove
it because Robbie has a letter, signed by
his friend, in which his friend admits that
he did it.
I would also like to say that I am appalled
at all of the R.A’s in the Parkside Commons.
One of the duties of a R.A. is to keep peace,
to keep the waters calm among the people
in the buildings. The R.As, in fact, are
some of the many people who are stirring
things up. I know that only two of the R.As
have actually spoken to Robbie, both from
his building, and none of the other R.As
have even tried to talk to him. They have
only tried to kick him out, and have gone
around with a petition asking people to
sign it to kick him out of the dorms, and
even school.
The people with the petition have been saying
that Robbie did the vandalism, even when
one of them knows for a fact he did not.
What does that say about that person? They
have to lie about something to get him kicked
out. I have also heard that the reason that
person is doing this is because they are
in fact the one who is racist, and that
is why they want Robbie out.
In closing, I would like to say shame on
all of you for passing judgment on a topic
you in fact know nothing about. I would
also like to invite you to talk to Robbie
or any of his many friends around school
that will tell you the truth about what
happened. Instead of getting mad right away,
try to listen and hear both sides of the
story. One should never pass judgment until
they hear both sides of the story.
—
Zachary Jorgenson
Parkside Commons resident
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