To the angry student who wrote about the mascot putting a cheerleader in a garbage can (“Cheerleader-in-a-garbage-can stunt is reprehensible in today’s world,” ODE , March 10), I say, “Stop whining.” Have women’s rights causes advanced so much that there is literally nothing left to complain about? We are left with discussion regarding the conduct of an oversized, grinning duck with a sailor hat? I understand that being an “outraged youth, set on fighting injustice” comes with the territory of being a college student. But those who wish to fight injustice would do well to remember to pick and choose their battles, so that they may be taken more seriously when they wish to fight serious injustices.
Secondly, I find it troubling that there is a movement in America to scrutinize everything for any hint of objectionable material. It is these complaints that have made valiant strides in ridding public spaces of any mention of religion during the holiday season, pointlessly forced neutral pronouns into common vernacular and created a “politically correct culture,” when in fact political correctness only serves the function of creating more hurdles to the free expression of thought.
My suggestion is simple: If we are indeed a society that strives for tolerance, I suggest that citizens tolerate things we find mildly insulting for the greater good of a free, unrepressed society. If we engage in, and in doing so, encourage ridiculous dialogue such as the mascot complaint, this pattern will only worsen.
Greg Campbell
Oregon Commentator