To the Editors:

Last week, racist and homophobic language was spray painted on an exterior wall of Dascomb. Some of the discussion surrounding this incident, in both campus-wide e-mails and in the Review, has implied that there is a lurking undercurrent of racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination at Oberlin. I would like to suggest an alternative view: In general, Oberlin deserves its reputation as a tolerant, progressive community.

At Oberlin, this kind of vandalism is uncommon enough to provoke a campus-wide reaction and condemnation. The slurs painted on Dascomb are rarely read — much less heard — outside an academic or artistic context. Unfortunately, this kind of language is extremely common outside of Oberlin. In my high school, these words could be heard in any crowded hallway on a daily basis. Oberlin demonstrates a level of tolerance and respect that many communities lack.

Hate speech should be publicly identified and condemned. But we should not use an isolated case of vandalism to draw inaccurate and disparaging inferences about one another. Members of the Oberlin community display a relatively low level of prejudice and discrimination, and we can recognize this quality without ignoring the offensive actions of certain individuals. Also, in reacting to such acts, we must avoid fostering mistrust among students or between students and the College administration. We should use our response to recognize the decency of Oberlin students and try to strengthen our relationship with College faculty and administration.

The reaction to this incident highlights the commitment of Oberlin students to equality and nondiscrimination. We should continue to advocate for these values without degrading the tolerant, respectful community that exists at Oberlin. Then we should take our advocacy outside of Oberlin, where there are ample opportunities to combat all forms of inequality and discrimination.

–Brook Luers College Junior