The homophobic slurs which recently appeared on a dry-erase board on Piano Row’s eighth floor are inexcusable.

They are the product of an ignorant mind and a cruel heart, and it brings shame to the entire community that someone among us is so inclined towards senseless bigotry.,Dear Editor,

The homophobic slurs which recently appeared on a dry-erase board on Piano Row’s eighth floor are inexcusable.

They are the product of an ignorant mind and a cruel heart, and it brings shame to the entire community that someone among us is so inclined towards senseless bigotry.

That said, the idea of “mandatory diversity training,” as suggested by EAGLE Co-Presidents Jessica Ganon and Andrea Wheeler, is nothing short of frightening.

The critical statements coming from EAGLE possess a distinctly authoritarian ring.

Compulsory programs of social education are not the foundation upon which free communities like our own are built.

To presume that everyone can be-or even should be-disciplined into the same mode of thinking is not just naive, it is dangerous.

It is equally tragic and frustrating that certain individuals here are unable to fully accept those of differing race, religion, and sexual preference.

However, tolerance will not come through “mandatory diversity training.”

To oppose public expression of hate is one thing, but to support required diversity instruction is quite another.

What we need is open dialogue, not obligatory cultural reorientation. True, justice must be served, but personal freedom must also be defended.

We must guard ourselves against the specter of over-the-top political correctness.

When those responsible for the infractions are discovered, punish them as per the rules laid down in the Student Handbook. Let us turn now to law, not indocrination.

-Phil Primeau

Freshman Political Communication Major