Learning from hate

By Editorial

Who would've thought that an e-mail would have the power to cause such a fervor among the Santa Clara community? What is disappointing, however, is that nobody really knows anything about a letter that viciously denounced gays and lesbians last November, particularly the identities of the e-mail's authors.

Something must be done. It goes without saying that those who perpetrate malicious acts should be punished, especially when they violate the university's Student Code of Conduct â€" not to mention common decency. End of debate. Administrators should aggressively pursue any and all leads to find whoever was responsible.

This isn't the whole picture, though. If Santa Clarans believe in a justice system of presumed innocence until proven guiltâ€" the university's or otherwise â€" they should avoid throwing blame on the owner of the account from which it was sent. To do such a thing would be a travesty to justice. Here is one fact we can prove: The university has uncovered no suspect, at least publicly. A family member of the account's owner, who asked not to be identified, was outraged that her relative was implicated. This doesn't exculpate the owner, but due process must take its course, even if some may feel disillusioned that the university would do little during this phase.

Administrators shouldn't make the mistake of considering this incident a closed case when investigations do yield a culprit. Some student advocates say that the letter is part of a larger problem: that the university has been not attentive to diversity issues. Most recently, advocates blame administrators for taking too long to scrub up profane, anti-gay painting that appeared on campus last March. The university should by no means be equated with the sender of a petulant e-mail. But the Office of Student Life should discuss better ways to bring diversity issues to the forefront.

The e-mail may very well have been an isolated incident, sent by some ignorant person with a hateful agenda. But an opportunity has arisen to address the issues of tolerance and acceptance that have been heretofore kept relatively at bay, and it would behoove the administration and the student body to confront these in a forthright and timely manner.