On February 17th, former ISU student and friend of mine, Brandon Pettiford, was assaulted along with his friend Jessie Stout after leaving a house party in Terre Haute. Media reports tell a story of a fight, while Jessie’s account paints a picture of what many would call a hate crime. As a former ISU student and opinions section editor of the Indiana Statesman, I spent a great deal of time displaying my own thoughts on a variety of issues – race being one of them. After hearing the story through various social media outlets, it was a painful reminder that racism, whether subliminal or blatant, is still very much alive in America. To act as if it does not exist is ignorant and demonstrates a lack of awareness to the thoughts, feelings and opinions of those who find themselves targets of said racism. With all the tools at students disposal during the college years, being socially conscious should be paramount. Aside from keeping Brandon in my thoughts and prayers, making sure his story reaches further than social networks is of the highest importance. We cannot simply write this situation off, nor can we erase what happened, but we can learn to understand such problems still exist and try, at the very least, to take steps toward making ourselves more aware of issues facing those who come from different backgrounds.
Prayers up!
Well said G!
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