This is a guest post by Molly Cornfield, a senior at UCLA.
Every so often, I send in a letter to the editor to the on-campus college newspaper, The Daily Bruin. I wish I could say I did this of my own volition, but I usually send it on behalf of my student group as a responsive article to counter any published work that disagrees with our mission statement.
A few weeks ago, one such disagreeable letter appeared in the opinion section. I immediately gathered research facts and worked nine straight hours to craft a thoughtful response piece. Long story short, it was published, and appeared online the same day.
Since its online publication, I’ve been in the habit of regularly checking up on the letter. A week ago, several nasty, hateful and most offensively, libelous, comments appeared beneath my article.
Initially, I was shaken by these unmistakably hate-filled attacks. I began to question my own opinions, beliefs and worldviews, wondering if these incendiary commenters had the right idea, and whether my own, more moderate stance was in fact radically unethical.
After mulling over my thoughts and feelings with a few good friends, I understood that these angry, biased commenters had achieved their goal. Their personalized, slanderous assertions were intended to evoke an emotional response of hopeless self-doubt.
No matter what the context or content of an argument, words bordering on verbal assault are never the path to discourse. Nor will extremism grant you a willing ear. A productive, academic conversation will stem not from a screaming war of unkind words, but rather, from willing open-minded discussion between people who are eager to understand the other side of the story.
Most significantly, the incident taught me to stand by my beliefs in the face of uncompromising opposition. Inflammatory language is intended to lead to uncertainty in one’s own beliefs, to make one feel attacked, wrong, insignificant.
Yet, in the end, my run-in with such sheer hatred has only worked to reinforce my own views. To think that there are such uneducated, outspoken people disseminating slander to anyone with ears shows the need for moderate and informed voices like my own.
From hereon out I’ll staunchly adhere to what I know is right, and never allow offensive language to make me question myself. I’d love to engage in an accusation-free discussion with the opposition, as long as I’m not asked to account for outright lies.
College campuses are teeming with diverse opinions. Over the course of your four-year stay, you’ll encounter many different views, in all shades along the spectrum of intensity. These differences are healthy; they test our beliefs, reshape our opinions and educate us on a daily basis. A calm and fact-based discourse can expand our understanding, but hate-speech will only widen the abyss between our opposing views. Stick with your own morals, but never become so engrained in your own ways that you find yourself intertwined in an emotional blame-game. Stand by your beliefs, but don’t close yourself off to productive two-sided conversations.
