Dear editorial staff,

The day after Easter you publish an opinion piece called “Practice What You Preach” that really doesn’t seem very “Christian.”

There are problems in every religion, there are adulterous and pedophile priests in every denomination of Christianity and you have taken a common and shallow approach to this issue.

Yes, there are many disturbing cases of abuse and cover-up in several Catholic Archdiocese around the country and the Vatican has not taken the right approach to dealing with those issues; I am not standing up for those priests nor those religious leaders who allowed them to abuse people in their trust. But, what you have conveniently left out of your statement are the episodes where an Episcopalian, Baptist, Lutheran, Evangelical, Methodist ministers have abused their positions of power and trust. Look them up, do a little work as journalists to investigate stories that other “Christians” try to cover up about their own religions. 

Instead you have jumped on yet another “hip college kid” bandwagon; that the Catholics are to blame. It would have been more Christian in this Easter season to call all people of
religion to be agents of truth and responsibility rather than to lay blame and scorn.

I would rather see the opinion page of the Collegian sharing new ideas, new stories and new opinions.

Unfortunately, you have made your opinion of Catholics unflinchingly clear. There are many on this campus and they may feel the sting of your article in a way that would do little to unite and promote diversity on campus. 

Emily Deister is a junior liberal arts major.

Dear Collegian,

Shame on you. The recent opinion about the sexual assault fee being passed that was expressed as the views of the editors of the Collegian was disheartening.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and all you can talk about is the politics of the fee? Needless to say, politics and elections are often filled with broken promises, but could you look on the bright side?

There is now enough money to help those who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Have you ever heard the story of a rape victim? Of a person who tried to get help but couldn’t and decided to commit suicide instead?

There may never be a “right” time to implement such a fee but is there ever a right time to be raped? Your opinions have shown a cold indifferent side to the survivors of sexual assault and rape and you should be ashamed. What if your girlfriend, sister, mom, brother or friend was raped or assaulted and struggled with finding help? I bet you wouldn’t be lashing out against the sexual assault fee then. Remember the old adage not to judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Let us hope you never have to experience a rape or sexual assault and use those resources. But until you do, please show a little compassion for those survivors of rape and sexual assault and not lash out against the fee since they are already dealing with so much.

From a sexual assault survivor.
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Kathryn Powell is a history major and women’s studies minor._