Our VOICE: Too quick to jump on the bandwagon
David Cowardin
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Editorial
The only thing worse than making a derogatory statement is making one just because somebody else did, all the while knowing it's offensive and wrong. Mirroring stupidity is often shallower than stupidity itself, and unfortunately easier to get away with.
We've all experienced it as little kids, the act of justifying a naughty behavior by passing the blame off on another: "But Mom, he did it too!" We all know how that story ends.
Here we are, attendees of a wonderful, diverse university, displaying the same behavior we did as kids. On Oct. 17, the UMD Bulldogs dropped the puck against the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). Since the Mavericks sported purple jerseys, Bulldog fans decided to sling homosexual slurs toward the ice, which inevitably caught the ears of the entire crowd and caused an upset mother to send a letter to many UMD administrators displaying her disgust.
In response, UMD Athletic Director Bob Nielson e-mailed 450 student season ticket holders, threatening to revoke their tickets if the inappropriate behavior persisted.
Students got off easy for their inappropriate conduct: The e-mail threat might as well have said actions were permissible. I imagine, however, that if these things were said at a Vikings game the responsible subjects would have had five burly men with bad breath and menacing tattoos breathing down their necks. But that wasn't the case, students knew their actions would slide and therefore considered them justified.
It was probably quite easy. One student could start the chant and the rest could follow, hiding behind one person's ignorance without feeling a tinge of guilt or remorse.
To make a long story short, it's easy to jump on the bandwagon, but before doing so, it's best to know where that wagon is heading. It's easy to get caught in the moment, but before getting tangled in the excitement, it's best to have a sense of how that excitement will unravel.
But nah, everyone was doing it, so it was no big deal. Or was it?
-David Cowardin
We've all experienced it as little kids, the act of justifying a naughty behavior by passing the blame off on another: "But Mom, he did it too!" We all know how that story ends.
Here we are, attendees of a wonderful, diverse university, displaying the same behavior we did as kids. On Oct. 17, the UMD Bulldogs dropped the puck against the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). Since the Mavericks sported purple jerseys, Bulldog fans decided to sling homosexual slurs toward the ice, which inevitably caught the ears of the entire crowd and caused an upset mother to send a letter to many UMD administrators displaying her disgust.
In response, UMD Athletic Director Bob Nielson e-mailed 450 student season ticket holders, threatening to revoke their tickets if the inappropriate behavior persisted.
Students got off easy for their inappropriate conduct: The e-mail threat might as well have said actions were permissible. I imagine, however, that if these things were said at a Vikings game the responsible subjects would have had five burly men with bad breath and menacing tattoos breathing down their necks. But that wasn't the case, students knew their actions would slide and therefore considered them justified.
It was probably quite easy. One student could start the chant and the rest could follow, hiding behind one person's ignorance without feeling a tinge of guilt or remorse.
To make a long story short, it's easy to jump on the bandwagon, but before doing so, it's best to know where that wagon is heading. It's easy to get caught in the moment, but before getting tangled in the excitement, it's best to have a sense of how that excitement will unravel.
But nah, everyone was doing it, so it was no big deal. Or was it?
-David Cowardin
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