As the seemingly endless number of articles related to SOFT continues to litter the opinions section of Flyer News, I thought I would take a brief moment of my time to weigh in on this historic debate.
I will keep both this article and my thoughts on this subject simple, as I have several other articles to write on controversial topics. All I ask is that you not only be tolerant of my forthcoming thoughts, but that you also adopt them as your own. Anything less will result in further Flyer News articles and a formal complaint to the university.
So, as I was saying, there seems to be an unusual number of articles related to SOFT in the Flyer News lately, the most entertaining of which have come mostly from members of the organization itself.
As I read these articles, I can’t help but wonder how it is that a person could beat a dead horse in a public forum to garner support for a frivolous cause while simultaneously speaking of high-mindedness. It is quite a fine line to walk, especially given SOFT’s version of free-thinking seems to be strangely at odds with their recent actions.
Perhaps the thrill of being part of a controversy has clouded the judgment of some of the more outspoken members of SOFT.
Regardless of your position on this controversy, I’m having a difficult time understanding how this poor horse continues to be on the receiving end of so many beatings. The matter seems relatively simple. The University of Dayton is a private institution. Like any private institution, it is well within its rights to deny any club status, especially one formed by a collection of pretentious, self-important college students desperately wanting to believe the imaginary cause for which they are fighting is worthwhile.
This is how free societies work. When an individual—or institution in this case—chooses not to participate in an activity that they do not like or agree with, that person cannot be coerced or guilted into doing so.
How difficult is it to accept this message? If you’re looking to stir up controversy because you just finished watching the “Dead Poet’s Society” and your current comfortable university lifestyle is not providing enough cheap thrills, there is any number of message boards online whose members have views contrary to your own that you could join—message boards full of “freethinking” people like yourself who are just as eager to shove their beliefs down your throat as you are to do the same.
So the next time you inevitably take a “problem” to a public forum, perhaps you might consider both the merit of doing so and whether the side you are on is the wrong one.
But what do I know? I’m just a freethinker.
