My 2 cents

In the Liberty Champion’s last issue, we ran an article pertaining to the popularity of the newest hit website on campus, “Awkward Couples of Liberty.” Our writer went through great lengths to interview the creators of the site, the dean of students Keith Anderson, and also lifted quotations straight from the website that were posted by students.

Yet, when the article ran last week, students took to Facebook to insult our writer’s work.

“This article is a joke,” one Liberty student said.

“The person who wrote this is a terrible journalist,” another said.

Still others threw out words like “stupid” and “dumb.” Some suggested that our writer find another career. These are specific examples of baseless and incorrect comments. All over Facebook were examples of Liberty students throwing out hate mail because of a disagreement over, among all things, a website meant for humor.

As the editor of this page, I can assure you this: our writer did her job, and she did her research. She gave her opinion, and that is what we ask of her.

At other institutions, insults toward a person’s intelligence and writing proficiency may be standard procedure, but at an institution such as Liberty University, are we not called to a higher standard? Disagreement with an article is one thing, virtually attacking the author is not.

The best way for those who disagree to settle who is right is not by seeing who can yell their case louder or hurl the sharpest insult. Disagreeing parties need to hear both sides of the story, work across the table with each other and develop a common agreement and respect.

To see a great example of tolerance, we need look no further than the late Jerry Falwell Sr., who became friends with Larry Flynt, founder of the pornographic publication Hustler magazine. Even though the two were ethically as far apart as possible, and even after Flynt published heinous advertisements attacking Falwell — a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court — a friendship developed.

“The ultimate result was one I never expected and was just as shocking a turn to me as was winning that famous Supreme Court case,” Flynt said in a 2007 LA Times article. “We became friends.”

When lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocates arrived on campus one year, Falwell used convocation to keep students in line.

“If I hear so much as a whisper of any of you being anything but welcoming, respectful and loving — you’ll have me to answer to,” Falwell said.

The greatest characteristic of the opinion page is that it is a safe harbor for just that — our opinions. Other pages report the news, but opinion gives people a voice and opens the door for discussion. We know you will not agree with every opinion that runs on the page, but our goal is to create dialogue and, hopefully, cause growth amongst the student body through interaction with each other.

That is just my two cents, and you might not like it or agree with it. Send a letter to the editor, have your voice be heard.

But please, get rid of the hate mail.