Letter to the Editor: Statesman column and response was right on

Dear Editor,

I am writing to show my support for Brooke Nelson and the Statesman in general. I was the graphic artist for the Statesman from August 2003 – May 2005, and I designed many of the Persian Peacock ads. Brooke Nelson’s article on 2/10/06, in the opinion section, was right on and I want to vouch for what she wrote.

This situation reminds me of the Utah controversy that surrounded the movie “Brokeback Mountain.” Larry H. Miller said that he did not feel that he was qualified to act as a sensor for the community. Only hours later, he pulled the movie from his theaters, thus taking on the role of community sensor. I haven’t seen, and don’t plan to see the movie, but I believe that people should at least have a choice.

I know of many people who didn’t agree with Miller’s decision to pull “Brokeback Mountain,” even though they didn’t condone the content of the movie. Similarly, the Statesman’s function is not to act as a community sensor, as Nelson stated in her article. There are people who don’t support the Persian Peacock ad, but that doesn’t mean that the Statesman should cave to those peoples’ wishes. The Statesman is not outside the boundaries of what should be printed (there are many ads that never make in into print because they are truly offensive and obscene – I can attest to that fact).

People should be given a choice and those that oppose the Persian Peacock ads can choose not to read the Statesman during the Valentines Day season. The Statesman should not be expected to take on the role of sensor and deny personal choice.

The Statesman’s job is to “be a more open, public forum available for a variety of views,” as Nelson stated. It is not to act as a community sensor, and I applaud Brooke Nelson and the Statesman for standing their ground.

Sarah Bingham