The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Is hate a UVM value?

To the Editor:

I am truly saddened, and even somewhat afraid of Russell Henderson’s recent ‘attacks’ on the GLBTQA community. As a member of said community, I feel it is my duty to respond.

What starts out as words on paper or a feeling of resentment towards particular people because of the way a person is raised can easily escalate toward physical violence, and other hateful actions.

I urge Mr. Henderson to remember that a man with the same name as him is serving time for the violent beating and subsequent death (read: murder) of a young gay man in Laramie, Wyoming.

While I do not assume to automatically connect the two men because of their name, we must all remember that what starts out as a negative opinion, if cultured without consideration, is easily motivated to more dangerous ways of ‘self-expression’, to more dangerous acts of openly taking out our aggressions on an innocent person who has not in any way transgressed against us.

There are things we must remember with the words we choose. That using a media form to criticize a person’s views can lead to hurtful words, and eventually, perhaps even violence.

I invite Mr. Henderson to educate himself on the real motivation behind National Coming Out Week, and to exercise his understanding of sexual politics in a less biased manner.

Because what you claim to understand as a furthering of the social agenda of homosexuals, Mr. Henderson, is actually a declaration and reaffirmation in the rights of truly marginalized human beings, and an exercise in acceptance.

-Alexandra Hunter
Class of 2004

More to Discover
Activate Search
Is hate a UVM value?