Recently posters have appeared around campus blaming the cat incident on Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The posters are an unnecessary attack against a group that has already been put in a bad light by recent events. Perpetrators of this attack are denying DKE of the benefit of being presumed innocent before being proven guilty.
Although there are rumors linking DKE to the killing of the cat, neither UR Security nor the Rochester Police Department has proclaimed anyone guilty. Until their investigations are finished, these accusations are slanderous and cowardly.
Unfortunately, the case of DKE is not an isolated one on this campus ? many individuals and groups here communicate through posters and paintings. There is a long history of slanderous speech and hate being spread throughout campus by the use and destruction of posters.
Those responsible for these attacks in particular are claiming they have knowledge superior to that of the authorities investigating the case. If they do possess this knowledge, putting up posters is at best a cowardly and poorly executed attempt to give a tip to the authorities. More probably, it is a vicious attempt to further downgrade the reputation of DKE.
Attacks of this sort do not only hurt the group that is directly affected by the attack, but also the UR community as a whole. It lowers the overall level of respect on the campus and promotes a climate of hate and retaliation.
Furthering such a situation of ignorance and hate is no longer tolerable, regardless of the group being attacked. Anyone who is defaming or destroying the reputation of another group needs to realize that they are only hurting themselves in the process.
