I have observed a disturbing trend in the Mustang Daily over the course of the last few weeks. Several hot-button issues have made themselves the center of attention. Be it the fake Christian rant, the evolution debate or any of the other debates which have raged in the letter to the editor. The problem is not debate, debate is good and needed, the problem is the pages of the Mustang Daily have become home to personal attacks and smear.
We all know the drill; first Person X writes a letter then Person Y responds and Person X writes a rebuttal to the first rebuttal. Sometimes personal debates will rage for multiple generations of trivial back and forth.
When we sink to this level we waste our ink writing about an issue which could have been conveyed better had each faction written one well thought-out argument.
I know some will argue I am stifling debate. I have no problem with debate, even though I find many of the arguments highly retread. We have a vast range of options and ideas on our campus. Giving the same two people the opportunity to debate the same issue over and over is far from fair.
If we must stay on the same issues day after day I ask for an end to the personal attacks.
Students will find their points are much more effectively spread when they ignore the personal politics of an issue and present their own views without attack.
Isaiah Brookshire
Political science junior