Lyssa Beyer

For better or, hopefully not, for worse I have become a new freelance writer for The Spectator. I am looking forward to tackling the hard issues from global issues of abortion and gun control to issues found on campus such as mascots, parking and budget cuts. I believe that we, as students, need to talk about the issues that face us on a daily basis. I say silence implies acceptance and honestly I don’t just accept some of the problems that we face. We need to challenge each other’s ideas, we need to force thought and, in short, we need to talk and we need to have discussion.

It is with discussion that we evolve our minds. Only by opening ourselves to new concepts and new ideas can we take that much needed step forward on to a new day of discovery. Think of a world in which the old ideas, and therefore old mistakes, are never challenged. This would make a world that has no new thought, new ideas and new opinions; a world that is just bland, dull and gray as day old oatmeal. It is the ability to have new thought and new ideas that keeps us from this mushy future.

One of the most important things we, as people who are free to talk, must understand is that a discussion is a living force. We can only benefit from discussion when we all have meaningful, thought provoking input. We need to say more then just, “well duh,” or “you’re just stupid.” Sorry folks, this is a liberal arts college and we students expect more.

It is the thoughts and ideas, however right or wrong, that we use to harden the steel of our values. We must, if for no other reason, take the time to allow others to challenge such values, for values untested are nothing more then a convenience of the mind.

Nor should a writer be soft when faced with the steel of values or use words as a smokescreen of convenience. What is the point of a writer who just tells you something with nothing to back it up? With no evidence to support a claim, is it really worth our time to read? I say no!

I say that a writer who is concerned enough with an issue should be concerned enough to do some research. It is, and always will be, the responsibility of the writer to set the bar of the discussion. If I, as a writer, start with no research or thought, then the reader cannot be expected to raise the bar for me.

In raising the bar we must also learn to tolerate the views of others. As Albert Einstein once said, “Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man presents his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population.” With a little update to modern times, we can say “every person” not “every man.” Still, Einstein brings up a good point. I fully plan to bring up some tough issues. An editorial writer should bring up the tough issues and in doing so, they will find people who agree and people who disagree. I would argue that the role of a good editorial writer is not found in agreement, but in sparking a discussion. A good writer should make you feel happy and mad, make you think, and provoke your emotions. Honestly, if an opinion writer is not doing exactly that, then why would someone bother reading the article?

This, in my humble opinion, is the requirement of the editorial page. This is what I feel we should give to you the reader and in return what would be given back. The truth is, with responsible writing I believe that the rest will come. I will tell you this; I can guarantee that I will not know everything about a given issue, but I will work to show some different arguments. I will work to provoke, in a good way, you the reader. My goal is to make you think, even if you disagree with me. If I achieve this, then you will have an article worth reading and we all will have a chance to test our values and evolve our minds.

Acheson is a freshman print journalism major and guest columnist of The Spectator.